hill defeated martin by 6,019 votes, 201,937 (50.9 percent) to 195,134 ballots (49.1 percent). turnout dropped sharply in 1962, compared to 1960, when presidential electors dominated the ballot, and the state split between kennedy-johnson and unpledged electors who ultimately voted for u.s. senator harry f. byrd, sr., of virginia. nearly 250,000 who had voted in the 1960 u.s. senate election won by the democrat john sparkman did not cast ballots in 1962. hill won thirty-seven of the state's sixty-seven counites. martin's strong showing enabled him to be elected in 1964 to alabama's 7th congressional district seat in the house of representatives.