Final answer:
The long-term trend in voter turnout since the end of the 19th century has been a significant decline, influenced by various factors such as restrictive voting laws and changes in election administration, despite efforts to make voting more accessible.
Step-by-step explanation:
Since the end of the 19th century, the long-term trend in voter turnout has experienced a significant decline. This trend was marked by a decrease in the participation in presidential elections dropping from a high of about 80 percent to roughly 60 percent in the North and to about 20 percent in the South in the 1920s.
Factors contributing to the decline include single-party dominance, restrictive laws for third parties, the decline of urban political machines, the rise of at-large municipal elections, the development of appointed commissions, and, more recently, new voting laws that critics argue are barriers to voting.
Voting rates by age groups also reflect this trend, with data showing that since 1964, voter turnout has mostly trended downward with the exception of those 65 and over. While there have been proposals to increase voter turnout, such as making registration easier and extending polling hours, these efforts have not reversed the long-term trend. Moreover, turnout rates among all groups have risen in the most recent US elections, but older Americans continue to have the highest voting rates.