The following provisions, subject to the conditions of RCW 29A.53.060, govern how votes for candidates for each office shall be tabulated under the instant runoff voting method:

     (1) All first choice votes cast for the office shall be tabulated in the first counting stage. If, following this first counting stage, a candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for the office, that candidate is deemed elected to the office and counting ends;

     (2) If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for the office during the first counting stage, the second counting stage begins by eliminating the last place candidate for that office. On ballots that indicate a first choice preference for the eliminated candidate, the second choice preferences are counted as votes for the candidates so designated. If, following this second counting stage, a candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for the office, that candidate is deemed elected to the office and counting ends;

     (3) If, following the second counting stage, no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for the office, the third counting stage begins by eliminating the last place candidate for that office. On ballots that indicate a first choice preference for the eliminated candidate, the next choice preferences are counted as votes for the candidates so designated. If, following this third counting stage, a candidate receives a majority of votes cast for the office, that candidate is deemed elected to the office and counting ends;

     (4) If, following the third counting stage, no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for the office, the counting process provided by subsection (3) of this section continues in succession until either a candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for the office or all but one candidate has been eliminated. In accordance with the provisions of this subsection, a candidate who receives either a majority of the votes cast for the office or who is the sole remaining candidate shall be deemed elected to the office; and

     (5) If at any stage in the counting process there are two or more last place candidates for the office, these candidates must be eliminated simultaneously. On ballots that indicate a first choice preference for the eliminated candidates, the next choice preferences shall be counted as votes for the candidates so designated.

[2005 c 153 § 5.]