Legal Definitions - hanging chad

A hanging chad is a small piece of paper that is attached to a punch-card ballot by a single point and is punched out by a voter to cast a vote. In order for the vote to be counted, the chad must be completely separated from the ballot.

In the 2000 presidential election, more than 40,000 ballots with partially attached chads had to be hand-counted, causing a delay in the results.

Other types of chads include:

• Dimpled chad: a chad that is bulging but not pierced, with all its points attached to the ballot.
• Swinging-door chad: a chad that is attached to the ballot by two points.
• Tri-chad: a chad that is attached to the ballot by three points.

These examples illustrate the different types of chads that can be found on punch-card ballots and the importance of ensuring that the chad is completely separated from the ballot for the vote to be counted accurately.