Final answer:
The third-party candidate turned the popular vote toward one major party by drawing votes from the other.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the presidential election of 1912, the impact of a third-party candidate was that it turned the popular vote toward one major party by drawing votes from the other. The third-party candidate in this election was Theodore Roosevelt, who ran as a Progressive. While he did not win a majority of the popular vote, he did receive a significant number of votes, which split the Republican party and ultimately helped Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic candidate, win the election.
Learn more about presidential election of 1912