Cappies Voting Explained
The voting algorithm is based on finding a mean score in each category not a total number of votes cast.' Each category is voted on separately with nominations and awards determined for each. The awards for play and musical are not determined by a summation of nominations given in other categories. As in all the other categories, these awards are voted on and scored separately.
The following is a detailed explanation of the voting process.
The Cappies voting system is admittedly complicated, as it must be to ensure fairness. The complete details of the process are available to all via the Cappies Rules based on awards eligibility, eligible categories, awards voting, and awards voting results process to determine nominations and award items.
The Cappies voting system has been constructed to be totally evenhanded to all schools regardless of the size of the critics team, or the number of critics who attended each Cappies show. Doing this allows them to identify (and discourage) 'gaming' or strategic voting by individual critics or teams. This provides Cappies officials with clear and fully independently auditable results.
The critics vote through specially designed computer software, through which they give points to individual candidates. No critic sees all shows (or anything close to that), of course, and the voting system has been designed to account for that.
Critics vote at proctored central locations on specific days in mid-April. The computer software, along with adult proctors are able to monitor (in real time) the voting process to ensure that all rules are being followed, and critics are not gaming the system for/against a single show or school.
The critics vote through a combination of evaluation scores, nomination points, award points, and tie breaks when necessary, (see: https://confluence.cappies.com/display/CIR/18.+Awards+Voting section 2b) based on the number of shows/reviews submitted for the season being voted on.
§ For every show a critic has reviewed, the critic receives 5 nomination points and 1 award point for use throughout voting. However, within each category, every critics choice (candidate) is required to be given an evaluation score based on the Cappies 10-point scale (https://confluence.cappies.com/display/CIR/14.+Post-Show+Evaluations)
A critic's final average (mean) score is a sum of all evaluation points given to each critic choice within each category, divided among the total number of critic choices the critic is eligible to vote for. This is verified upon check-out by the proctors during the voting day.
All nominations and winners are determined not by the number of critics who saw a show, but first 'normalized' through a mathematical formula that first determines the number of critics who have completed and submitted their ballot based on the total number of critics across the entire chapter, and checked out with proctors (out of 100%) and divides that number against itself to determine the weight of each critics individual vote prior to determining the average points for each candidate eligible for each award category. For example if a chapter, has 100 critics, and 10 have submitted their ballot, each vote for every candidate is worth 10%. However, if 100 critics have submitted their ballot (using the same 100 total critics); each vote is worth 1%.
A show's performance date has no impact on the final determining factor for awards nor does the number of critics who attend, review, and vote for a show given the previous statement based on the normalization formula above. In other words, a show that is attended by 30 critics in the fall is not disadvantaged by a show with 100 critics in the spring.
The following is a detailed explanation of the voting process.
The Cappies voting system is admittedly complicated, as it must be to ensure fairness. The complete details of the process are available to all via the Cappies Rules based on awards eligibility, eligible categories, awards voting, and awards voting results process to determine nominations and award items.
The Cappies voting system has been constructed to be totally evenhanded to all schools regardless of the size of the critics team, or the number of critics who attended each Cappies show. Doing this allows them to identify (and discourage) 'gaming' or strategic voting by individual critics or teams. This provides Cappies officials with clear and fully independently auditable results.
The critics vote through specially designed computer software, through which they give points to individual candidates. No critic sees all shows (or anything close to that), of course, and the voting system has been designed to account for that.
Critics vote at proctored central locations on specific days in mid-April. The computer software, along with adult proctors are able to monitor (in real time) the voting process to ensure that all rules are being followed, and critics are not gaming the system for/against a single show or school.
The critics vote through a combination of evaluation scores, nomination points, award points, and tie breaks when necessary, (see: https://confluence.cappies.com/display/CIR/18.+Awards+Voting section 2b) based on the number of shows/reviews submitted for the season being voted on.
§ For every show a critic has reviewed, the critic receives 5 nomination points and 1 award point for use throughout voting. However, within each category, every critics choice (candidate) is required to be given an evaluation score based on the Cappies 10-point scale (https://confluence.cappies.com/display/CIR/14.+Post-Show+Evaluations)
A critic's final average (mean) score is a sum of all evaluation points given to each critic choice within each category, divided among the total number of critic choices the critic is eligible to vote for. This is verified upon check-out by the proctors during the voting day.
All nominations and winners are determined not by the number of critics who saw a show, but first 'normalized' through a mathematical formula that first determines the number of critics who have completed and submitted their ballot based on the total number of critics across the entire chapter, and checked out with proctors (out of 100%) and divides that number against itself to determine the weight of each critics individual vote prior to determining the average points for each candidate eligible for each award category. For example if a chapter, has 100 critics, and 10 have submitted their ballot, each vote for every candidate is worth 10%. However, if 100 critics have submitted their ballot (using the same 100 total critics); each vote is worth 1%.
A show's performance date has no impact on the final determining factor for awards nor does the number of critics who attend, review, and vote for a show given the previous statement based on the normalization formula above. In other words, a show that is attended by 30 critics in the fall is not disadvantaged by a show with 100 critics in the spring.