Abstract: A data recovery scheme is disclosed wherein a majority voting scheme arrives at the correct data and resolves ties with a minimum number of reads. The method includes reading at least one instance of data including a first set of ECC checkbytes from a media, each instance of data and ECC checkbytes comprising a string of bits, forming a voting data string from a majority value for each bit position in the string of bits, generating a second set of ECC checkbytes using the voted data string and returning the voted data sting to a host if the second set of ECC checkbytes is equal to the first set of ECC checkbytes.