The Electoral College will be displayed at Historic Washington State Park in Washington, Arkansas on October 23 – December 31 from 8 a.m.—5 p.m. daily at the 1874 Courthouse Visitor Center.
Since its founding in 1824, the community of Washington has seen its share of presidential elections and the impact of the Electoral College.
On December 14, 2020, the Electoral College will cast its vote, based on the votes by the general public in each state, for the next President of the United States as required by the Constitution. With the current election season, there has been much discussion on the role of the Electoral College in regard to popular vote vs. electoral vote. This has happened only in four elections in United States history where a candidate has won the electoral college and not the popular vote. The elections of 1876, 1888, 2000, & 2016. Only two times, in the Elections of 1800 and 1824, have none of the candidates received an electoral majority and the vote was decided by the United States House of Representatives as required by the United States Constitution.
Learn more about these elections and the Electoral College through the exhibit.
Other exhibits are also on display including an exhibit on African-American Legislators of Arkansas in the 19th century.
The visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m.—5 p.m. and Williams Tavern Restaurant is open for lunch daily from 11 a.m—3 p.m. Self-guided tours are available for pickup at the visitor center. Masks are required to enter park buildings per COVID-19 Health guidelines.
Historic Washington State Park, a restoration village preserving one of Arkansas’ most prominent 19th-century towns, is located on US 278 nine miles north of Hope and can be reached by taking Exit 30 off Interstate 30.
