In this painting, Alfred Jacob Miller captures democracy in action. Although best known for images of the American West, including paintings of Native American culture and life on the frontier, Miller actually spent most of his career in his native Baltimore. This lively painting represents the small-town voting experience in Catonsville, Maryland, about five miles west of Baltimore. It is one of a small number of surviving, local, genre scenes—depictions of everyday life—by the artist.
The painting is not dated, but scholars believe it to be the same Election Scene painting that Miller exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in May 1861. It can therefore be understood as an image of the 1860 race in which Abraham Lincoln was elected president. Miller showcases discussion and debate among people from a cross section of classes and ethnicities; the animated hand gestures of the figures direct the viewer's gaze to the polling station on the right. The artist's composition featuring such active civic participation reinforces the ideals of an election day. Additionally, the inclusion of a small group of African American spectators standing outside the polling station provides a subtle reference to the issues at stake in this election.