Question

u.s. popular vote for president as percentage of total population
\us popular vote for president as percentage of total population.\ source: wikimedia commons
even with the civil rights movement and legislation supporting the fifteenth amendment, it was widely reported that, throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, many southern states continued practices that prevented african americans from voting.
which of the following trends in the graph supports this claim?
choose 1 answer:
a the percentage of voters in presidential elections initially increased and then dropped sharply at the end of the 1960s
b the percentage of voters in presidential elections during these years increased by almost ten percent
c the percentage of voters in presidential elections during these years dropped by more than ten percent.
d the percentage of voters in presidential elections during these years initially declined and then increased slightly

Explanation:

The claim states that African Americans in southern states were barred from voting in the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. We analyze the graph's trend for this period: the line shows a steep upward climb, representing a nearly 10 percentage point increase in voter turnout as a share of the total population. This aligns with the idea that even with suppression, the Civil Rights Movement and related efforts still expanded access enough to drive a notable increase in the overall voter percentage.

Answer:

B. The percentage of voters in presidential elections during these years increased by almost ten percent