To decide the winner of an award at the Oscars, including the Academy Award for best supporting actress, the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences participate in a two-phase voting process:
First, members receive a ballot listing qualifying movies and nominate candidates within their branch. Specifically, actors nominate actors, directors nominate directors, and so forth. Each member picks up to five candidates in each of their designated categories and lists them by preference. Certified public accountants tally the ballots using instant runoff voting, also called preferential voting, to determine the nominees in each category. For the final voting, all active or lifetime academy members cast ballots in any category, deciding the final winner.