Most of the time, ties are nothing to worry about. Our system automatically ranks entries by number of votes first, and then by date entered as the tiebreaker (earlier entries rank higher in a tie).
When do ties matter?
You only need to be concerned if there is a tie for the final winning spot in your contest.
Example:
Let's say there are 13 winners in your contest, and entry #13 and entry #14 end the contest with the exact same amount of votes. However, entry #13 would have entered your contest before entry #14.
How do other organizations handle ties?
There are two common approaches:
✅ Option 1: Follow leaderboard results
Some organizations choose to honor the standings exactly as they appear:
The entry that appears higher on the leaderboard wins, since entry #14 could have donated a little more if they really wanted to secure a winning spot.
✅ Option 2: Combine tied winners
Other groups prefer to be more inclusive:
If Entry #13 and Entry #14 are tied, they may both be awarded—for example, by sharing a month in a calendar.
| 💡 This can be a simple, feel-good solution if you want to avoid disappointment. |
When ties DON'T matter
Only ties for the final winning position require attention.
If Entry #5 and Entry #6 tie, but your contest has 13 winners, it's not a problem. Both are safely within the winning range and have donated more than Entry #7.
Want to plan ahead? Add a tie rule.
If you’d like clarity upfront, you can include a tie policy in your official contest rules.
Here are some examples from other organizations:
Leaderboard Tiebreaker
“If there is a tie in votes for any of the top [number of winning] spots, the tie breaker will be determined by the individual who submitted their entry first and this will be displayed accordingly on the home page under the Leaderboard. The pets who are displayed as the top [number of winners] at the end of the competition on the home page under the leaderboard will be the final winners.”
Random Draw
“If there is a tie for last place, those contestants will be entered into a draw. The winner of the draw will receive the prize.”
Timestamp Tiebreaker
“If there is a tie for last place, the entry that reached their final vote total first will receive the prize.”