Object Details
Description
The presidential contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore came down to Florida in November 2000. A confusing ballot design and incomplete punch marks hampered the recount effort, which ground into late November until halted by the Supreme Court.
In Broward County, teams of counters examined each ballot, forwarding cards in need of interpretation to Judge Robert A. Rosenberg. A famous photograph shows Rosenberg peering through a magnifying glass at a ballot and the “chads” (paper fragments) dangling from incomplete punch marks. This is one of two magnifying glasses that Rosenberg used and kept as souvenirs of the recount, together with a bag of “authentic chads.”
Gift of Robert A. Rosenberg, 2001–2004
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Robert R. Rosenberg
date made
2000
ID Number
2004.0304.01
accession number
2004.0304
catalog number
2004.0304.01
Object Name
chad, ballot
Physical Description
beige (overall color)
paper (overall material)
plastic (overall material)
white (overall color)
black (overall color)
Measurements
overall: 2 in x 3 7/8 in; 5.08 cm x 9.8425 cm
place made
United States: Florida
referenced
United States: Florida
See more items in
Political History: Political History, General History Collection
Government, Politics, and Reform
Souvenir Nation
Data Source
National Museum of American History
used
Voting
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_1280863