Hawaii had become a state only a year before the 1960 election.1 Partial results released the day after the election showed Richard Nixon with 91,719 votes and John F. Kennedy with 91,218, with about 5,000 votes left to count.2 A week later Nixon was certified the winner by 141 votes, and the governor certified Nixon's electors as appointed.3 Democrats filed suit, and Circuit Judge Ronald Jamieson ordered a recount.4
With the recount still under way in December, both slates of electors met on the prescribed day and cast and sent their votes.5 On December 28 the recount ended with Kennedy ahead by 115 votes, and Judge Jamieson ruled that Hawaii's three electoral votes should go to the Democrats.6 The governor then certified Kennedy as the winner; Justice John Paul Stevens later wrote that the slate Congress counted was appointed on January 4, 1961.7
When Congress counted the votes, the presiding officer was Vice President Nixon, who suggested, without the intent of establishing a precedent, that the Kennedy certificate be accepted.8 This was agreed to by unanimous consent, and Congress counted Hawaii's 3 Democratic votes.9
Byrd received electoral votes for President from Alabama (6), Mississippi (8) and Oklahoma (1).
Thurmond received electoral votes for Vice President from Alabama (6) and Mississippi (8).
Goldwater received 1 electoral vote for Vice President from Oklahoma.
John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated on November 22, 1963. He was succeeded by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, who took the oath of office in Dallas, Texas that day.
National Archives, Electoral College results for 1960, archives.gov, read October 3, 2026. Quoted as published.
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- Back to sentence 1
We had just become a state a year earlier.
staradvertiser.com/?p=992964 - Back to sentence 2
State officials released partial vote tallies the next day. Nixon received 91,719 votes, or 50.1%. Kennedy had 91,218, or 49.8%. About 5,000 votes remained to be counted.
staradvertiser.com/?p=992964 - Back to sentence 3
A week later Nixon was certified the Hawaii winner by 141 votes, or 0.1%.
staradvertiser.com/?p=992964 the governor of the state of Hawaii first certified the electors of Vice President Richard M. Nixon as having been appointed
everycrsreport.com/reports/RL32717.html - Back to sentence 4
Democrats demanded a recount and filed a lawsuit charging irregularities
hnn.us/blog/8267 Circuit Judge Ronald Jamieson ordered a recount in 37 of 240 precincts, a total of more than 32,000 ballots.
hnn.us/blog/8267 - Back to sentence 5
Both slates of electors had met on the prescribed day in December, cast their votes for President and Vice President, and transmitted them according to the federal statute.
everycrsreport.com/reports/RL32717.html It was decided to send two sets of electors and let Congress decide which to accept.
staradvertiser.com/?p=992964 - Back to sentence 6
On Dec. 28, seven weeks after the election, the recount was over, and Kennedy was declared the winner by 115 votes, or 0.06%. Circuit Court Judge Ronald Jamieson ruled that Hawaii's three electoral votes should go to the Democrats
staradvertiser.com/?p=992964 On Dec. 28, a circuit court judge ruled that the state-originally called Kennedy's but awarded to Nixon after auditing errors emerged-belonged to Kennedy after all.
slate.com/news-and-politics/2000/10/was-nixon-robbed.html - Back to sentence 7
due to a subsequent recount which determined that Senator John F. Kennedy had won the Hawaii vote, certified Senator Kennedy as the winner.
everycrsreport.com/reports/RL32717.html Indeed, in 1960, Hawaii appointed two slates of electors and Congress chose to count the one appointed on January 4, 1961, well after the Title 3 deadlines.
law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-949.ZD.html - Back to sentence 8
The presiding officer, that is, the President of the Senate, Vice President Nixon, suggested "without the intent of establishing a precedent" that the latter and more recent certification of Senator Kennedy be accepted
everycrsreport.com/reports/RL32717.html - Back to sentence 9
This was agreed to by unanimous consent.
everycrsreport.com/reports/RL32717.html *The State of Hawaii appointed two sets of electors and officially sent both sets of certificates to Congress. Following a court decision, Congress counted the Democratic votes.
archives.gov/electoral-college/1960 Georgia 12 12 - - 12 - - - Hawaii* 3 3 - - 3
archives.gov/electoral-college/1960
Sources checked on October 3, 2026
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