Legal Definitions - chad

A chad refers to the small, pre-cut piece of paper that is designed to be completely punched out of a ballot card by a voter to register a vote. In voting systems that use punch-card ballots, a vote is typically counted only when the chad is fully detached from the ballot. If the chad remains partially attached, the vote may not be recognized by automated counting machines and might require manual review to determine the voter's intent.

Variations in how a chad detaches can lead to different classifications:

• A dimpled chad (also known as a pregnant chad) occurs when the chad is indented or bulges outward but remains fully attached to the ballot at all points, without any part of it being pierced through.
• A hanging chad is a chad that has been punched through but remains attached to the ballot by only a single point.
• A swinging-door chad is a chad that remains attached to the ballot by two points, allowing it to pivot slightly like a small door.
• A tri-chad is a chad that is attached to the ballot by three points.

Examples

Example 1: Local School Board Election

During a closely contested local school board election, a precinct using punch-card ballots reported a higher-than-average number of uncounted votes. Upon manual inspection, election officials discovered many ballots where voters had pressed the stylus, but the small paper pieces for certain candidates were only partially dislodged. Some were dimpled chads, showing an indentation but no full puncture, while others were hanging chads, clinging by a single corner. This required a painstaking manual review process to ascertain voter intent for each of these ballots, delaying the final results.

Explanation: This example illustrates how partially detached chads, specifically dimpled and hanging chads, can prevent votes from being automatically counted and necessitate human intervention to interpret the voter's intention, directly impacting election outcomes.

Example 2: Statewide Referendum on Infrastructure

In a statewide referendum concerning a new infrastructure bond, several counties utilized older punch-card voting machines. After the initial machine count, one county noticed a significant number of ballots where the "Yes" option for the bond measure had swinging-door chads. These chads were punched on two sides but remained attached at two other points, preventing full detachment. The county election board had to issue guidance on whether these partially detached chads should be counted as valid votes, considering the clear intent indicated by the two broken connections.

Explanation: This scenario demonstrates how a specific type of partially detached chad (swinging-door chad) can arise in a large-scale election and create ambiguity, requiring election authorities to make a decision on how to interpret and count such votes.

Example 3: University Student Government Election

For a university's student government election, students used a simplified punch-card system. After the polls closed, the election committee found a batch of ballots where a particular candidate's selection had tri-chads – the small paper piece was detached on only one side, remaining connected at three points. This indicated that while the voter attempted to punch out the selection, the punch mechanism might not have fully engaged, leaving the chad largely intact. The committee had to decide if these largely attached chads, despite the clear attempt to punch, should be counted as valid votes for that candidate.

Explanation: This example highlights how a tri-chad, representing a nearly intact but attempted punch, can occur and pose a challenge for election officials in determining whether a vote was successfully cast according to the system's requirements.