Ranked-Choice Voting Gets A Prime-Time Shot Under New York City's Bright Lights

An important election takes place Tuesday in New York City.

But beyond who wins the mayoral primaries there, what happens could have consequences for how millions of Americans vote in the future.

That's because the city, for the first time, is using ranked-choice voting. The method, which allows voters to rank candidates by preference rather than selecting just their top choice, has gained some traction throughout the country, pushed by reformers who say it's a better election system.

New York City, though, is by far the largest jurisdiction to implement ranked-choice voting, and that means it's about to go under a white-hot spotlight.