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| | Election Name | United States presidential election, 1960 |
| Country | United States |
| Flag | 1959 |
| Type | presidential |
| Ongoing | no |
| Previous Election | United States presidential election, 1956 |
| Previous Year | 1956 |
| Next Election | United States presidential election, 1964 |
| Next Year | 1964 |
| Election Date | November 8, 1960 |
| Nominee1 | John F. Kennedy |
| Party1 | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Home State1 | Massachusetts |
| Running Mate1 | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Electoral Vote1 | 303 |
| States Carried1 | 22 |
| Popular Vote1 | 34,220,911 |
| Percentage1 | 49.7% |
| Nominee2 | Richard Nixon |
| Party2 | Republican Party (United States) |
| Home State2 | California |
| Running Mate2 | Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. |
| Electoral Vote2 | 219 |
| States Carried2 | 26 |
| Popular Vote2 | 34,108,157 |
| Percentage2 | 49.6% |
| Map Image | ElectoralCollege1960.svg |
| Map Size | 350px |
| Map Caption | Presidential election results map. Blue denotes states won by Kennedy/Johnson, Red denotes those won by Nixon/Lodge. Orange denotes the electoral votes for Harry F. Byrd by Alabama and Mississippi unpledged electors, and an Oklahoma "faithless elector". Numbers indicate the number of electoral votes allotted to each state. |
| Title | President |
| Before Election | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Before Party | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election | John F. Kennedy |
| After Party | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Footnote1 | As per the unpledged electors from Alabama and Mississippi. |
| Footnote2 | As per the faithless elector from Oklahoma. |
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The United States presidential election of 1960 was the 44th American presidential election, held on November 8, 1960, for the term beginning January 20, 1961, and ending January 20, 1965. The incumbent president, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, was not eligible to run again. The Republican Party nominated Richard Nixon, Eisenhower's Vice-President, while the Democrats nominated John F. Kennedy, Senator from Massachusetts. Kennedy was elected with a lead of 112,827 votes, or 0.1% of the popular vote, giving him a victory of 303 to 219 in the Electoral College, the closest since 1916.
Numerous factors explain why the election was so close. Kennedy gained since there was an economic recession which hurt the incumbent GOP, and he had the advantage of 17 million more registered Democrats than Republicans. Furthermore, the new votes that Kennedy gained among Catholics almost neutralized the new votes Nixon gained among Protestants. Kennedy's campaigning skills outmatched Nixon's. In the end, Nixon's emphasis on his experience carried little weight, and he wasted energy by campaigning in all 50 states instead of concentrating on the swing states. Kennedy used his large, well-funded campaign organization to win the nomination, secure endorsements, and with the aid of the last of the big-city bosses to get out the vote in the big cities. He relied on Johnson to hold the South and used television effectively."
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