Praetor autem respondit suffragium postero die latum iri, ne contio nimium clamaret.

Because Latin usually expresses reported statements with an indirect statement construction, not with a separate word meaning that.

After a verb of saying, thinking, knowing, reporting, and so on, Latin commonly uses:

• accusative
  • infinitive

So here:

• respondit = he replied / answered
• suffragium ... latum iri = that the vote would be carried / taken

The noun suffragium is in the accusative because it is the subject of the indirect statement, and latum iri is the infinitive that goes with it.

In a Latin indirect statement, the subject of the reported idea goes into the accusative.

So even though suffragium is logically the thing that will be carried / taken, it appears as:

• suffragium = accusative singular

If this were a normal direct statement, you would expect a nominative subject. But after respondit, Latin shifts to the accusative-and-infinitive pattern.

Latum iri is the future passive infinitive of fero.

This is a very common point of confusion because fero is irregular:

• present active infinitive: ferri = to be carried? Actually no, that is passive; active is ferre
• perfect passive participle / supine base: latus, -a, -um
• future passive infinitive: latum iri

So suffragium latum iri means:

• that the vote would be carried
• more literally, that the vote was going to be carried

With suffragium, the phrase often means that the vote would be taken / held.

Because the action of the vote is later than the action of respondit.

Latin infinitives in indirect statement often show time relative to the main verb:

• present infinitive = action happening at the same time
• perfect infinitive = action earlier
• future infinitive = action later

Here the praetor replied first, and the vote would happen afterward, so Latin uses the future infinitive:

• latum iri = would be carried / would take place later

Postero die is in the ablative of time when.

Latin often uses the ablative without a preposition to mean on a certain day or at a certain time:

• postero die = on the following day / the next day

Forms:

• postero = ablative singular of posterus
• die = ablative singular of dies

So it tells you when the vote would happen.

Autem is a postpositive conjunction, which means it normally comes second in its clause.

Its meaning is often something like:

• however
• but
• now
• on the other hand

So Praetor autem respondit means something like:

• The praetor, however, replied
• But the praetor replied

It often gives a mild contrast or moves the narrative along.

This is a purpose clause.

• ne = so that ... not / in order that ... not
• clamaret = imperfect subjunctive

So ne contio nimium clamaret means:

• so that the assembly would not shout too much
• to prevent the crowd from shouting too much

In context, the idea is that the vote was postponed until the next day in order to avoid excessive shouting.

Because it is in a subordinate clause depending on a past main verb:

• respondit is past

In Latin, purpose clauses take the subjunctive, and after a past-tense main verb Latin often uses the imperfect subjunctive. This follows the normal sequence of tenses.

So:

• ne ... clamaret = so that ... would not shout

The imperfect here does not mainly mean past continuous the way English imperfect-style forms sometimes do. Its main job is to fit the tense sequence after respondit.

Yes.

In ne contio nimium clamaret:

• contio = subject
• nimium = adverb, too much
• clamaret = might shout / would shout

So contio is nominative singular and means the public gathering, assembly, or crowd.

A learner might expect something like people in the plural, but Latin often uses a singular collective noun here.

No, they refer to different things.

• contio = a public meeting, assembly, or crowd of people
• suffragium = a vote, ballot, or act of voting

So the sentence distinguishes between:

• the people gathered together = contio
• the formal vote = suffragium

That is why the assembly can shout, while the vote can be held on the next day.

Nimium is functioning as an adverb meaning:

• too much
• excessively

So:

• clamaret = shout
• nimium clamaret = shout too much / shout excessively

Although nimium can also be a noun or adjective in other contexts, here it clearly modifies the verb.

Because it agrees with suffragium, which is:

• neuter
• singular

Even though latum iri is part of the future passive infinitive, the participial element still agrees with the accusative subject of the indirect statement.

So:

• suffragium = neuter singular accusative
• latum = neuter singular accusative, matching it

If the noun were different, the form would change accordingly.

Yes. Literally, fero means carry / bear, but in Roman political language suffragium ferre or related expressions can refer to the process of voting.

So the phrase can be understood idiomatically as:

• the vote would be held
• the vote would be taken

Literal meanings are important, but Latin often uses verbs in set political or legal expressions that sound more natural when translated less literally into English.