>>> CHICAGO JUST GOT THROUGH ANOTHER ELECTION CYCLE.

THERE WERE NINE CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR AND YESTERDAY, THEY DID IT ALL OVER AGAIN BECAUSE NO CANDIDATE RECEIVES 50% OF THE VOTE.

WHAT IF THERE WAS A DIFFERENT WAY?

WHAT COULD YOU DO IF YOU COULD VOTE IN ORDER OF YOUR PREFERENCE?

THERE IS A SYSTEM WHERE YOU CAN DO THAT AND IT IS CALLED RANKED CHOICE VOTING AND IT HAS SOME BACKERS AND DETRACTORS.

HOW WILL IT WORK?

WTTM NEWS EXPLAINS.

>> PEOPLE ARE ACCESSED WITH RANKINGS.

THE NCAA TOP 25 , MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR, YOU NAME IT, WE RANK IT.

IS THE VOTING NUMBER OF JURISDICTIONS ARE APPLYING RANKING VOTING.

HOW DOES RANKED CHOICE VOTING WORK?

INSTEAD OF VOTING FOR JUST ONE CANDIDATE , A VOTER RANKS THEM STARTING WITH THEIR FAVORITE.

IF THAT PERSON GETS MORE THAN 50% OF PLACED VOTES IT GOES TO A RUNOFF AND THE VOTES ARE REDISTRIBUTED.

LET'S SEE THE RACES BETWEEN THE CLASSIC CHICAGO HOT DOG , DEEP DISH PIZZA, ITALIAN BEEF, AND THE GREEK YOUR ROLE.

PIZZA GETS 30, PIZZA 20 AND THE GYRO CLOSED.

IN A REGULAR VOTING, HOT DOG WINS, BUT NOT IN RANKED CHOICE VOTING.

IT GOES TO SECOND CHOICE COUNTING.

SO, WHO DID THE GYRO LOVERS VOTE AS THE NUMBER TWO?

LET'S SEE IF HOT DOGS WIN?

NO GYRO FANS RANKED HOTDOGS SECOND.

HALF WENT TO PIZZA AND HALF WENT TO BEEF.

NO ONE HAS CRACKED 50%.

BEEF IS LAST AND SO IT IS OUT AND GETS REDISTRIBUTED.

PIZZA WINS 55-45.

ADVOCATES ARGUE RANKED CHOICE VOTING IS MORE DEMOCRATIC .

DETRACTORS SITE VOTER CONFUSION AND LOWER VOTER TURNOUT.

THAT IS THE DISH ON RANKED CHOICE VOTING.

>> NOW THAT YOU ARE ALL HUNGRY WE WILL GET INTO THE Q&A ON THIS ISSUE.

THERE BEEN STATES ARE CONSIDERING RANKED CHOICE VOTING .

JOINING US NOW TO BREAK DOWN WITH THAT WOULD MEAN OUR ANDREW , EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FAIR VOTE ILLINOIS AND NATE ATKINSON , PROFESSOR OF LAW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN.

THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU.

ANDREW, YOU LAID OUT THE BASICS.

MAKE A CASE FOR RANKED CHOICE VOTING.

>> RANKED CHOICE VOTING HELPS INSURE THAT A REPRESENTATIVE OUTCOME OCCURS.

THERE HAS TO BE SUPPORT OF THE MAJORITY.

RANKED CHOICE VOTING LEADS TO LESS POLITICAL TOXICITY .

IF IT IS NOT IN THE CANDIDATES INTEREST OR IS NOT A LEADING STRATEGY , THEY MAY NOT WANT TO.

OTHER BENEFITS ARE BEING CONSIDERED.

I CAN WRITE MY CHOICES IN ANY ORDER I LIKE.

I DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT SPOILING THE ELECTION.

ONE THING I WILL THROW IN IS IT OFTEN ELIMINATES A TOXIC ELECTION.

WE RUN THE WHOLE ELECTION ONE TIME .

>> WE WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF OR SO.

>> NATE?

>> RANKED CHOICE VOTING IS A DAY , NOT AN IT.

IT IS ONE TYPE OF VOTING.

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF SYSTEMS.

RANKED CHOICE VOTING ALLOWS CANDIDATES TO RUN AN ELECTION WITHOUT A SPOILER.

THIS RANKED CHOICE VOTING IS BIASED A WAY FOR MODERN CANDIDATES.

SO, LET'S SAY WE HAVE A LEFT-WING CANDIDATE AND A RIGHT-WING CANDIDATE AND A MODERATE.

THE MODERATE CANDIDATE MY GET THE MAJORITY OF THE VOTERS.

BUT, THIS ELIMINATES THE VOTERS THAT GIVE THEM SUPPORT IN THE FIRST ROUND.

EVENTUALLY, IT GOES BACK TO THE TRADITIONAL ELECT VOTING OF A RIGHT-WING AND A LEFT-WING CANDIDATE.

WE SAW THIS HAPPEN IN ALASKA.

>> THIS WAS THE ELECTION THAT INVOLVED SARAH PALIN.

WHAT ABOUT DRAWING OUT THE MODERATE VOICES?

>> IT IS NOT OUR JOB TO ENGINEER A WIN FOR A MODERATE CANDIDATE.

WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE MOST REPRESENTATIVE PEOPLE ELECTED.

PEOPLE WHO ARE PREFERRED BY THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE.

THAT IS WHAT RANKED CHOICE VOTING IS.

IT HELPS THE VOTERS , WHOEVER BEST REPRESENTS THE VOTERS ACTUALLY GETS THE WIN.

IT HELPS WITH A BROAD BASE OF SUPPORT.

>> YOU MENTIONED THAT THE RANKED CHOICE VOTING SYSTEM THAT WE OUTLINED IS JUST ONE OF MANY.

IS THERE A SYSTEM THAT YOU WOULD FIND PREFERABLE?

>> I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE EARLY ON IN THE STAGE.

SOMETHING THAT IS QUITE FAMILIAR IS THAT WE THINK ABOUT COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE WORLD CUP AS ROUND ROBINS.

SO, LET'S GO BACK TO DEMOCRACY WITH THE REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT AND A MODERATE, IT PUT THE ACTUAL WINNER IN A HEAD-TO-HEAD CONTEST WITH THE SECOND MOST POPULAR VOTE-GETTER.

BECAUSE OF THE FEATURE OF RANKED CHOICE VOTING WE ELIMINATED A CANDIDATE WITH THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF SUPPORT.

YOU GET THE MAJORITY OF VOTERS.

>> SO, MAYBE A MATCHUP STYLE RANKED CHOICE VOTING.

THERE ARE BILLS IN THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATOR LOOKING AT RANKED CHOICE VOTING.

HOW WOULD THOSE BILLS IMPACT OUR VOTING?

>> THERE IS A BILL RIGHT NOW IN THE HOUSE THAT WOULD BRING RANKED CHOICE VOTING TO PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES RIGHT HERE IN ILLINOIS.

IT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE A VERY CROWDED FIELD AND THERE IS ANOTHER BILL IN THE SENATE AND IT IS THE SAME THING.

IT WOULD PUT RANKED CHOICE VOTING IN EFFECT FOR VOTING FOR PRESIDENT.