The result when a voter stops voting for offices and initiatives at the bottom of a long ballot.

The result when a voter stops voting for offices and initiatives at the bottom of a long ballot.

• A. Ballot fatigue
• B. Ballot drop-off
• C. Voter fatigue
• D. Ballot shrinkage

Answer: (A)

Ballot fatigue refers to the decline in voting as voters work their way through a long ballot. When a ballot is lengthy, people may feel fatigued or overwhelmed by the time they reach the offices and initiatives listed toward the bottom, so they skip those items or vote less consistently. This down-ballot drop-off happens even though the voter may have participated earlier, and it can affect outcomes on lower-profile races or measures. The idea is about tiredness or mental effort as the ballot length increases, which is why the bottom-of-ballot voting often drops off. Ballot drop-off is related but focuses on the actual decline in votes as you go down the page; in this context, ballot fatigue is the most fitting term.

Ballot fatigue refers to the decline in voting as voters work their way through a long ballot. When a ballot is lengthy, people may feel fatigued or overwhelmed by the time they reach the offices and initiatives listed toward the bottom, so they skip those items or vote less consistently. This down-ballot drop-off happens even though the voter may have participated earlier, and it can affect outcomes on lower-profile races or measures. The idea is about tiredness or mental effort as the ballot length increases, which is why the bottom-of-ballot voting often drops off. Ballot drop-off is related but focuses on the actual decline in votes as you go down the page; in this context, ballot fatigue is the most fitting term.