The main Miss Universe Pageant is held over a two-week period in May
and July. In the 1970s through the 1990s, the pageant was a month long.
This allowed time for rehearsals, appearances, and the preliminary
competition, with the winner being crowned by the previous year's
titleholder during the final competition.
According to
the organizers, the Miss Universe contest is more than a beauty pageant:
women aspiring to become Miss Universe must be intelligent,
well-mannered, and cultured[need quotation to verify]. Often a candidate
has lost because she did not have a good answer during the question
responses rounds; although this section of competition has held less
importance during recent pageants than it did in the twentieth century.
Delegates also participate in swimsuit and evening gown competitions.
Currently,
the final placement of the finalists is determined by a ranked vote,
where each judge ranks each of the final three/five candidates, with the
contestant posting the lowest cumulative score (thus often, but not
necessarily always, the contestant with the most number one votes)
becoming the winner. If there is a tie, the higher semifinal scores
become decisive.
The winner is assigned a one-year
contract with the Miss Universe Organization, going overseas to spread
messages about the control of diseases, peace, and public awareness of
AIDS. Since Donald Trump took over the pageant, the winner has been
given the use of a Trump Tower apartment in New York City during her
reign. If the winner, for any reason, cannot fulfill her duties as Miss
Universe, the 1st runner-up takes over.
Aside from the
main winner and her runners-up, special awards are also given to the
winners of the best National Costume, Miss Photogenic, and Miss
Congeniality. The Miss Congeniality award is chosen by the delegates
themselves. In recent years, Miss Photogenic has been chosen by popular
internet vote (the winner used to be chosen by media personnel covering
the event).