The County Election is a painting created by Missouri artist George Caleb Bingham in 1851-1852. It portrays the election day scene in 1846 when Bingham ran for office. Bingham’s work tends to focus on life and commerce along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and Missouri’s people. The painting is part of the Election Series, which includes two additional works—Stump Speaking and The Verdict of the People.
The County Election is an example of Bingham’s Luminist style and Romanticism. It is currently on display at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Goupil & Co. published the painting, with an engraving by John Sartain, in New York, Paris, London, and Berlin in 1854. As the artwork depicts a historical and social event, it provides a window into the significant part that election days played before the modern-era voting process. This painting is a significant and inspiring work of art that reflects American past and demonstrates the artist’s inclination towards describing social events.