ruby on rails - Trying to get counts through multiple associations -

i have created question answer app client stackoverflow. not trying implement sort of point system (like reputation). trying record counts through associations (which believe set correctly). trying counts votes on users answers. here example.

in /views/questions/show page list answers question calling partial _answer.html.erb. each answer pull in answer.user information (username, email, etc.) doing answer.user.username. wanting display in badge format total point calculations. if user a answered question a, next user a's answer want display total of user a's answer votes.

i can count users answers in /views/answers/_answer.html.erb doing following:

<%= answer.user.answers.count %> 

but when try extend syntax/association count of votes on user a's answers undefined method errors.

<%= answer.user.answers.votes.count %>  

is set fundamentally wrong here or missing something.

that bit confusing let me know if need more detail.

update:

here associations:

answers

class answer < activrecord::base   belongs_to :question   belongs_to :user   has_many :votes, :dependent => :destroy end 

votes

class vote < activerecord::base   belongs_to :answer   belongs_to :user   belongs_to :question end 

users

class user < activerecord::base     has_many :questions, :dependent => :destroy   has_many :answers, :dependent => :destroy   has_many :votes, :through => :answers , :dependent => :destroy end 

<%= answer.user.answers.votes.count %>  

but

answer.user.answers 

is array of answers suppose wanted like

<%= answer.user.answers[id].votes.count %>  

update

<% answer.user.answers.each |answer| %>     <%= answer.votes.count%> <% end% > 

update

 <%= (answer.user.answers.map{|x| x.votes.count}).sum%> 

i love rails such things