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
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
- date made
- 2000
- Credit Line
- Robert A. Rosenberg
- Physical Description
- black (overall color)
- glass (overall material)
- colorless (overall color)
- plastic (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 9 in x 4 1/2 in; 22.86 cm x 11.43 cm
- Object Name
- magnifying glass
