Movieline Helps: Simplified Best Picture Voting Instructions for the Confused Academy Member

10. Yes, even though you've already chosen your Best Picture, you now need to rank your second-favorite through tenth-favorite films!

11. Simply place the number "2" in the space next to your second-favorite film, "3" next to your third-favorite film, and so on, until all of the numbers between 2 and 10 are exhausted, and there are no films in the list without a number next to them.

12. Of course, you're right. We mean "second-best film," "third-best film," etc etc. We've already established that "best" is probably the preferred semantic expression of what we're looking for in a Best Picture. Thank you for the reminder!

13. Congratulations! You have cast your votes for Best Picture Two through Best Picture Ten!

14. But only Best Picture (ie, Best Picture One) will be receiving the Best Picture Oscar at the ceremony. Don't worry, we won't get confused and hand out a series of progressively smaller statuettes to every film on the list according to your ranks. We promise!

15. If you feel uneasy about ranking the films that were not your top Best Picture choice, just skip steps 9 through 14. We'll still count your original choice! (Not the one your erased or crossed out.) It'd just be nice to know how you feel about all ten films relative to one another, so that we can resolve any potential tiebreaking issues or nastiness related to our winner receiving a low number of actual first-place votes. But that's not your problem, so don't give it a second thought! We're not even sure why we're bringing it up, to be perfectly honest.

16a. If you're still confused and feel unable to properly execute your voting duties, you may use this pre-approved voting order in lieu of your own rankings:

1. The Hurt Locker

2. Avatar

3. Inglorious Basterds

4 Precious

5. Up

6. Up in the Air

7. An Education

8. A Serious Man

9. District 9

10. The Blind Side

17. You're done! Place your completed ballot (or mostly completed, if you decided not to bother ranking Best Picture Two Through Best Picture Ten, or opted for the pre-approved list) in the provided envelope.

18. At 5 p.m. on March 2nd ("Deadline Day"), a special PriceWaterhouseCoopers courier will arrive at your home to collect your Best Picture ballot. But please remember to separately submit the ballot containing your selections for all the other Oscar categories by U.S. mail, as the couriers will not be accepting those for hand-delivery!

19. Please do not re-open the envelope containing your ballot to 1) explain your actual Best Picture vote to the courier (they won't be the actual accountants who are tabulating your vote!) or 2) change your vote back to your "favorite" film from your chosen "best" film. Let it go. You're overthinking it now, and the couriers are very busy on Deadline Day!

20. Give the ballot to the courier. It's out of your hands now! See you on March 7th!

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