Legal Definitions - swinging-door chad

A swinging-door chad is a small piece of precut paper that is attached to a punch-card ballot by two points and 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.

During the 2000 presidential election, more than 40,000 ballots with partially attached chads had to be hand-counted, causing delays in the election results. There are different types of chads, including:

• Dimpled chad: a chad that is bulging but not pierced, with all its points attached to the ballot.
• Hanging chad: a chad that is attached to the ballot by a single point.
• Pregnant chad: a chad that is bulging but not pierced, with all its points attached to the ballot. Sometimes called a dimpled chad.
• Tri-chad: a chad that is attached to the ballot by three points.

For example, if a voter punches a hole in the ballot but the chad remains partially attached, it is considered a swinging-door chad. This type of chad can cause issues with machine-read ballots and may require hand-counting to ensure the vote is accurately recorded.