diff --git a/src/vse_sim/methods/__init__.py b/src/vse_sim/methods/__init__.py
index e913cd2..73d5632 100644
--- a/src/vse_sim/methods/__init__.py
+++ b/src/vse_sim/methods/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from .borda import Borda, RankedMethod, RatedMethod
+from .borda import Borda
 from .bullety_approval import BulletyApprovalWith
 from .irnr import IRNR
 from .irv import Irv
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from .mav import Mav, toVote
 from .mj import Mj
 from .plurality import Plurality
+from .ranked import RankedMethod, RatedMethod
 from .ranked_pairs import Rp
 from .schulze import Schulze
 from .score import Score
diff --git a/src/vse_sim/methods/borda.py b/src/vse_sim/methods/borda.py
index 13b9ee7..b86c4bb 100644
--- a/src/vse_sim/methods/borda.py
+++ b/src/vse_sim/methods/borda.py
@@ -1,81 +1,14 @@
 from numpy import mean
 
-from ..core import Method, rememberBallot
-from ..voter_models import Voter  # noqa: F401
+from .ranked import RankedMethod
 
 
-class Borda(Method):
+class Borda(RankedMethod):
     """Implement Borda count with larger rank values representing preference.
 
     Honest ballots assign consecutive scores from least to most preferred.
-    Ranked methods also inherit this class's ballot construction and strategy
-    helpers.
     """
 
     candScore = staticmethod(mean)
 
     nRanks = 999 # infinity
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def fillPrefOrder(voter, ballot,
-            whichCands=None, #None means "all"; otherwise, an iterable of cand indexes
-            lowSlot=0,
-            nSlots=None, #again, None means "all"
-            remainderScore=None #what to give candidates that don't fit in nSlots
-            ):
-
-        venum = list(enumerate(voter))
-        if whichCands:
-            venum = [venum[c] for c in whichCands]
-        prefOrder = sorted(venum,key=lambda x:-x[1]) #high to low
-        Borda.fillCands(ballot, prefOrder, lowSlot, nSlots, remainderScore)
-        #modifies ballot argument, returns nothing.
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def fillCands(ballot,
-            whichCands, #list of tuples starting with cand id, in descending order
-            lowSlot=0,
-            nSlots=None, #again, None means "all"
-            remainderScore=None #what to give candidates that don't fit in nSlots
-            ):
-        if nSlots is None:
-            nSlots = len(whichCands)
-        cur = lowSlot + nSlots - 1
-        for i in range(nSlots):
-            ballot[whichCands[i][0]] = cur
-            cur -= 1
-        if remainderScore is not None:
-            i += 1
-            while i < len(whichCands):
-                ballot[whichCands[i][0]] = remainderScore
-                i += 1
-        #modifies ballot argument, returns nothing.
-
-    @staticmethod #cls is provided explicitly, not through binding
-    @rememberBallot
-    def honBallot(cls, utils):
-        ballot = [0] * len(utils)
-        cls.fillPrefOrder(utils, ballot)
-        return ballot
-
-
-    @classmethod
-    def fillStratBallot(cls, voter, polls, places, n, stratGap, ballot,
-                        frontId, frontResult, targId, targResult):
-        """Mutates the `ballot` argument to be a strategic ballot.
-
-        >>> Borda().stratBallotFor([4,5,2,1])(Borda, Voter([-4,-5,-2,-1]))
-        [3, 0, 1, 2]
-        """
-        nRanks = min(cls.nRanks,n)
-        if stratGap <= 0:
-            ballot[frontId], ballot[targId] = (nRanks - 1), 0
-        else:
-            ballot[frontId], ballot[targId] = 0, (nRanks - 1)
-        nRanks -= 2
-        if nRanks > 0:
-            cls.fillCands(ballot, places[2:][::-1],
-                lowSlot=1, nSlots=nRanks, remainderScore=0)
-
-RankedMethod = Borda #alias
-RatedMethod = RankedMethod #Should have same strategies available, plus more
diff --git a/src/vse_sim/methods/irnr.py b/src/vse_sim/methods/irnr.py
index 12511d5..4f39225 100644
--- a/src/vse_sim/methods/irnr.py
+++ b/src/vse_sim/methods/irnr.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from ..core import Method, rememberBallot
-from .borda import RankedMethod
+from .ranked import RankedMethod
 
 
 class IRNR(RankedMethod):
diff --git a/src/vse_sim/methods/plurality.py b/src/vse_sim/methods/plurality.py
index 445633b..0ea44d0 100644
--- a/src/vse_sim/methods/plurality.py
+++ b/src/vse_sim/methods/plurality.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+from numpy import mean
+
 from ..core import rememberBallot
 from ..voter_models import Voter  # noqa: F401
-from .borda import RankedMethod
+from .ranked import RankedMethod
 
 
 class Plurality(RankedMethod):
@@ -10,6 +12,7 @@ class Plurality(RankedMethod):
     and every other candidate receives zero.
     """
 
+    candScore = staticmethod(mean)
     nRanks = 2
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/src/vse_sim/methods/ranked.py b/src/vse_sim/methods/ranked.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e58a7a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/vse_sim/methods/ranked.py
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+from ..core import Method, rememberBallot
+
+
+class RankedMethod(Method):
+    """Base class for methods that use candidate-aligned rank vectors.
+
+    Larger ballot values represent stronger preferences. The class provides
+    shared helpers for constructing complete or truncated ranked ballots and
+    the default ranked-method strategy used by Borda and plurality.
+    """
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def fillPrefOrder(
+        voter,
+        ballot,
+        whichCands=None,
+        lowSlot=0,
+        nSlots=None,
+        remainderScore=None,
+    ):
+        """Fill ``ballot`` with candidates ordered by decreasing utility."""
+        venum = list(enumerate(voter))
+        if whichCands:
+            venum = [venum[c] for c in whichCands]
+        prefOrder = sorted(venum, key=lambda x: -x[1])
+        RankedMethod.fillCands(
+            ballot, prefOrder, lowSlot, nSlots, remainderScore
+        )
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def fillCands(
+        ballot,
+        whichCands,
+        lowSlot=0,
+        nSlots=None,
+        remainderScore=None,
+    ):
+        """Assign descending ranks to candidate tuples in ``whichCands``."""
+        if nSlots is None:
+            nSlots = len(whichCands)
+        cur = lowSlot + nSlots - 1
+        for i in range(nSlots):
+            ballot[whichCands[i][0]] = cur
+            cur -= 1
+        if remainderScore is not None:
+            for candidate, *_ in whichCands[nSlots:]:
+                ballot[candidate] = remainderScore
+
+    @staticmethod
+    @rememberBallot
+    def honBallot(cls, utils):
+        """Return a complete rank vector ordered by utility."""
+        ballot = [0] * len(utils)
+        cls.fillPrefOrder(utils, ballot)
+        return ballot
+
+    @classmethod
+    def fillStratBallot(
+        cls,
+        voter,
+        polls,
+        places,
+        n,
+        stratGap,
+        ballot,
+        frontId,
+        frontResult,
+        targId,
+        targResult,
+    ):
+        """Mutate ``ballot`` with the default strategy for ranked methods."""
+        nRanks = min(cls.nRanks, n)
+        if stratGap <= 0:
+            ballot[frontId], ballot[targId] = (nRanks - 1), 0
+        else:
+            ballot[frontId], ballot[targId] = 0, (nRanks - 1)
+        nRanks -= 2
+        if nRanks > 0:
+            cls.fillCands(
+                ballot,
+                places[2:][::-1],
+                lowSlot=1,
+                nSlots=nRanks,
+                remainderScore=0,
+            )
+
+
+RatedMethod = RankedMethod
diff --git a/src/vse_sim/methods/schulze.py b/src/vse_sim/methods/schulze.py
index 984f49b..d920ba4 100644
--- a/src/vse_sim/methods/schulze.py
+++ b/src/vse_sim/methods/schulze.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from numpy import sign
 
 from ..voter_models import DeterministicModel  # noqa: F401
-from .borda import RankedMethod
+from .ranked import RankedMethod
 
 
 class Schulze(RankedMethod):
diff --git a/tests/test_regressions.py b/tests/test_regressions.py
index 21030a6..89caa16 100644
--- a/tests/test_regressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_regressions.py
@@ -8,12 +8,51 @@
 from scripts.recalculate_irv_pages import recalculate
 from vse_sim.core import SideTally
 from vse_sim.diagnostics import TRACE, setDebug, trace
-from vse_sim.methods import Irv, Mav, Schulze, Score
+from vse_sim.methods import (
+    Borda,
+    Irv,
+    Mav,
+    Plurality,
+    RankedMethod,
+    RatedMethod,
+    Schulze,
+    Score,
+)
 from vse_sim.simulation import CsvBatch, seedRandomGenerators
 from vse_sim.strategies import ProbChooser, beHon, beStrat
 from vse_sim.voter_models import Electorate, Voter
 
 
+def test_ranked_method_is_a_base_class_separate_from_borda():
+    assert RankedMethod is not Borda
+    assert RatedMethod is RankedMethod
+    assert issubclass(Borda, RankedMethod)
+    assert issubclass(Schulze, RankedMethod)
+    assert Borda.honBallot(Borda, Voter([4, 1, 6, 3])) == [2, 0, 3, 1]
+    assert Schulze.honBallot(Schulze, Voter([4, 1, 6, 3])) == [2, 0, 3, 1]
+    assert Borda().stratBallotFor([4, 5, 2, 1])(
+        Borda, Voter([-4, -5, -2, -1])
+    ) == [3, 0, 1, 2]
+    assert Plurality().results([[1, 0], [1, 0], [0, 1]]) == [
+        pytest.approx(2 / 3),
+        pytest.approx(1 / 3),
+    ]
+
+
+def test_ranked_fill_candidates_handles_zero_slots():
+    ballot = [None, None]
+
+    RankedMethod.fillCands(
+        ballot,
+        [(0, 2), (1, 1)],
+        nSlots=0,
+        remainderScore=0,
+    )
+
+    assert ballot == [0, 0]
+    RankedMethod.fillCands([], [], nSlots=0, remainderScore=0)
+
+
 def test_schulze_uses_independent_strongest_path_rows():
     margins = [
         [0, -3, 1],