After all these years, I thought a clarification was in order.
Chad, mentioned so often during the 2000 Florida recount debacle, is the debris from punching holes in computer punch cards.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9l8kwhaQ6CLMO5MuaqoKxF-hFBfbwgK-kqXxhfG2pWPbGHYBc495SBwfCp79LHKTxV49YnXFEoAe3r88HLWdjSC3C4HcUI5Vm1RT56XTa7VP2OrrO0bfdPQyjINexnaRf9H5X/s400/punchcard.jpg)
Later, the term was expanded to include debris from the round holes punched into paper and mylar tape, used for computer programming as well.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CDf6jTxZ4Vou2R8VkCK4gVN3Mh7M53UuBwAUFEBJKZQwOtrIt_T8qz37VoovK5Xn8_e9WW_LqUtgxhsB1b37fToiYHIhc1BksgP3kWkDwqGD77KK4pNpMtwsRct9Sk6Cvwym/s400/punchtape.jpg)
And logically, the use of the word also includes the debris from poking holes into paper ballots. Hence the infamous and not correct expression "hanging chads".
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPE5jHTkwBrMGYwApl3rh9OBiIBdi3GVK-7esKFa5EeTwST78585ED2Ls8ZtQVDjKppi-S4AYDzISrcqTmD_LHhVL9yHJuEN9bOtSr2mXg8ndNkw_TAFZVLp_sQvBTkrk0lXC/s400/punch_card_ballot.gif)
An individual piece, from either a punch car or tape, is a piece of chad, not an individual chad.
Get it? Chad is the overall product. Like sand.
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