Election of 1960

At first, the election of 1960 was thought to go undoubtedly towards Kennedy. However, on election day ballots started shifting towards Nixon. The battle became equal and the election was not settled until early morning the next day; not the usual 12 o'clock. Of the 68 million votes cast, there was a mere difference of about 113,ooo votes between the leaders of the race (Kennedy and Nixon). When the vote was settled in the morning, the Republicans stated that there had been probable voting fraud. Nixon ended his battle here, but the Republican party pursued. Evidence of fraud was found, but no recount was made available. The Department of Justice referred the investigation to the attorney general who, with the new cabinet in place, was Robert Kennedy, John F. Kennedy's brother.

Earl Mazo, national correspondent for the New York Herald Times went to individually investigate the voting fraud. He made the following statements:

"There's no question in my mind that [the election] was stolen."

"I remember a house. it was completely gutted. There was nobody there. But there were 56 votes for Kennedy in that house."

In his inauguration speech on January 20, 1961, Kennedy delivered the famous line: 

"Ask not what your country can do for you-- ask what you can do for your country." 

Some other notable events of the election were the first televised debates, which helped Kennedy, the more attractive of the two lead candidates. Kennedy also gained black support through his ties with Martin Luther King, Jr. and also massive mob support.

View graphs of the election here