Final answer:
The Progressive Era brought about key voting reforms, including the Australian ballot for private voting, the implementation of direct primaries for candidate selection, and the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment for the direct election of U.S. Senators.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Progressive Era, several significant changes to voting occurred, aimed at increasing citizen participation in the electoral process and reducing corruption. One notable change was the adoption of the Australian ballot, which allowed voters to privately select their candidates, countering the previous public and often coercive methods of voting. Secondly, the direct primary system was introduced, replacing the earlier means of candidate selection controlled by political machines, thereby giving power directly to the voters. Finally, the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913 led to the direct election of U.S. Senators, a shift from their previous selection by state legislatures, thus promoting a more democratic and representative electoral system