Which term describes the phenomenon of declining voter enthusiasm throughout a lengthy ballot?

The term that accurately describes the phenomenon of declining voter enthusiasm throughout a lengthy ballot is "ballot fatigue." This concept refers to the idea that as voters encounter an extensive list of candidates and measures, their interest or motivation to make informed choices diminishes, often leading them to skip portions of the ballot or make less thoughtful selections.

In elections where the ballot includes multiple offices, referendums, or propositions, voters may start off with high engagement but can quickly become overwhelmed or fatigued as they continue through the list. This decline in focus can negatively impact election outcomes, as it may result in lower participation for certain races or issues at the bottom of the ballot.

The other terms like voting apathy, electoral exhaustion, and voter malaise describe different aspects of voter disengagement but do not specifically capture the phenomenon of decreasing enthusiasm related to the complexity or length of the ballot. Voting apathy generally refers to a lack of interest in participating in elections at all, while electoral exhaustion and voter malaise may relate to overall disillusionment with the political process without concentrating on the structural factors like lengthy ballots that lead to fatigue.