The Presidential race of 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon was bitterly fought. In the end, Kennedy won the electoral college by a margin, but the popular vote was much closer. Kennedy, the Democratic candidate, won by a few more than 112,000 votes.
Some Republicans cried foul. They believed there could have been significant voter fraud. In the aftermath of the election, the Women’s Division of the Republican National Committee published a pamphlet titled “Are You a ‘Shadow’ Voter?”
It illustrated the numerous forms of voter fraud. Readers were warned about vote buying and rigged voting machines. Poll watchers were encouraged to have a camera ready to record any improprieties. The brochures were widely distributed, from the members of Congress to the League of Women Voters.
See the 1961 “Are You a ‘Shadow’ Voter?” pamphlet in the Vera Glaser papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more.