diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ca02234..0c8eb60 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "publisher": "SiddharthaPrasad",
   "icon": "images/icon.png",
   "license": "MIT",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.5.5",
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
     "url": "https://github.com/sidprasad/pick-regex"
diff --git a/src/pickController.ts b/src/pickController.ts
index 6e8a546..b75254a 100644
--- a/src/pickController.ts
+++ b/src/pickController.ts
@@ -682,15 +682,12 @@ export class PickController {
     for (const record of this.wordHistory) {
       if (record.classification === WordClassification.ACCEPT) {
         for (const candidate of this.candidates) {
-          if (candidate.eliminated) {
-            continue;
-          }
           if (this.analyzer.verifyMatch(record.word, candidate.pattern)) {
             candidate.positiveVotes++;
           } else {
             // Candidate fails to match an accepted word - negative vote
             candidate.negativeVotes++;
-            if (candidate.negativeVotes >= candidate.eliminationThreshold) {
+            if (!candidate.eliminated && candidate.negativeVotes >= candidate.eliminationThreshold) {
               candidate.eliminated = true;
               logger.info(
                 `[Replay] Eliminated candidate "${candidate.pattern}" after ${candidate.negativeVotes} negative votes (threshold ${candidate.eliminationThreshold}) - failed to match accepted word "${record.word}".`
@@ -700,18 +697,16 @@ export class PickController {
         }
       } else if (record.classification === WordClassification.REJECT) {
         for (const candidate of this.candidates) {
-          if (candidate.eliminated) {
-            continue;
-          }
           if (this.analyzer.verifyMatch(record.word, candidate.pattern)) {
             candidate.negativeVotes++;
-            if (candidate.negativeVotes >= candidate.eliminationThreshold) {
+            if (!candidate.eliminated && candidate.negativeVotes >= candidate.eliminationThreshold) {
               candidate.eliminated = true;
               logger.info(
                 `[Replay] Eliminated candidate "${candidate.pattern}" after ${candidate.negativeVotes} negative votes (threshold ${candidate.eliminationThreshold}) - incorrectly matched rejected word "${record.word}".`
               );
             }
           }
+          // If doesn't match: no vote (correctly rejecting is neutral/expected)
         }
       }
     }