Which factor best explains the decline in voter turnout shown after roughly 1900?
- A
Voters lost interest because all major issues had been resolved.
- B
The federal government banned third parties after 1900.
- Ccheck_circle
Disenfranchisement of African Americans, immigrant voter restrictions, and the Australian (secret) ballot reduced participation.
- D
The Nineteenth Amendment caused turnout to plummet.
Explanation
Gilded Age turnout was very high (around 80%) due to intense party loyalty. After 1900, Jim Crow laws, literacy tests, poll taxes, and registration requirements suppressed Black and immigrant voters. The 19th Amendment doubled the electorate, temporarily lowering the percentage.