USA: Pieces of paper left over from punch-card voter ballots have been turned into jewellery

Record ID: 328850

  • Title: USA: Pieces of paper left over from punch-card voter ballots have been turned into jewellery
  • Date: 12th December 2000
  • Summary: ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 7, 2000) (REUTERS) SV VOTERS LINED UP AT VOTING STATION SV/CU VOTERS FILLING OUT BALLOTS; VOTERS INSERTING BALLOTS INTO BALLOT BOX (3 SHOTS) CARTHAGE, TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 7, 2000) (REUTERS) SV UNITED STATES VICE-PRESIDENT AL GORE EMERGING FROM VOTING BOOTH AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 7, 2000) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) SV TEXAS GOVERNOR GEORGE W. BUSH INSERTING BALLOT INTO BOX
  • Embargoed: 27th December 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, DC/ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA / CARTHAGE, TENNESSEE/AUSTIN, TEXAS/PALM BEACH COUNTRY, FLORIDA/BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Quirky,Politics,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA808L1EUNHVAK8P1U89M2USHXY
  • Story Text: During the U.S. presidency contest between Al Gore and George W. Bush chads, tiny pieces of paper left over when a ballot is punched, have taken centre stage. And they have begun to figure in jewellery design.
    Weeks ago, as people cast their ballots in the election, hardly anyone had heard of a chad.
    Now the pieces of paper left over from punch-card voter ballots have been catapulted into the national limelight.
    The tiny bits of paper which are punched out of a ballot card when voters use a special pen to indicate their choice have been turned into jewellery just in time for the Christmas market.
    During November's presidential election some voters failed to punch out the chads correctly.
    It is the recount of these disputed votes in Florida which has left the result in limbo.
    While the public and politicians wait patiently to learn whether George W. Bush or Al Gore will lead the country, an enterprising jewellery firm has made sure the chads do not go to waste.
    Enjewel.com - which sells its products over the Internet - has incorporated the chads into sterling silver earrings, cufflinks and necklaces.
    Sheldon Ginsberg is the President and CEO of Enjewel. He said, "Well we thought that the best known chads are pregnant chads. And we have pregnant chad cufflinks. And then there are dimpled chads which we have made into dimpled chad earrings.
    And of course the butterfly ballot. The butterfly ballot with the hanging chad has become one of our necklaces. And we have a suite of those three pieces."
    The items form what Enjewel calls its Election Collection.
    The cufflinks and earrings cost around 66 U.S. dollars while the butterfly shape necklace goes for about 85 usd.
    Mr Ginsberg is offering Florida residents a 15 per cent discount if they fill out the order form correctly the first time.
    The chad has become an item of affection for some people, who are quick to pick their favorites.
    One woman said, "I'd go with the dimple. Dimples are cute."
    Another New Yorker said,
    "My favorite chad. I'd have to say the pregnant chad."
    One man speculated, "You put a dimpled together with a hanging then you get a pregnant one, but we don't want to talk about that."
    One man said, "It's obviously not the pregnant chad.
    Maybe the two-point chad. The one that hangs on two sides. You know the one I'm talking about?"
    Another thought about a different chad altogether saying,
    "Well I guess. My chad would have been a Chad I went to college with. He was an alright guy."
    Both candidates were sent pregnant chad cufflinks as a courtesy.
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