>>> 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.