Legal Definitions - pregnant chad

Definition: A pregnant chad is a type of chad that is bulging but not pierced, with all its points attached to the ballot. It is similar to a dimpled chad, which is also attached to the ballot but not fully punched through. Both types of chads can cause issues with machine-read punch-card ballots, as the chad must be completely separated from the ballot for the vote to be counted.

Example: In the 2000 presidential election, more than 40,000 ballots with partially attached chads had to be hand-counted, causing delays in the election results. Some of these chads were pregnant or dimpled, meaning that they were not fully detached from the ballot and could not be read by the voting machines.

Explanation: The example illustrates how pregnant chads can cause issues with punch-card ballots and lead to delays in election results. When a chad is not fully detached from the ballot, it can be difficult for voting machines to accurately read the voter's intent. In the case of the 2000 presidential election, the presence of thousands of partially attached chads led to a controversial and closely contested outcome.