1986-87 TAFF Ballot

What is TAFF? The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund was created in 1953 for the purpose of providing funds to bring well-known and popular fans familiar to those on both sides of the ocean across the Atlantic. Since that time, TAFF has regularly brought North American fans to European conventions and European fans to North American conventions. TAFF exists solely through the support of fandom. The candidates are voted on by interested fans all over the world, and each vote is accompanied by a donation of not less than $1 or £1. These votes, and the continued generosity of fandom, are what make TAFF possible.

Who may vote? Voting in the 1986-87 race is open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to September 1985, and who contributes at least $1 or £1 to the Fund. Contributions in excess of the minimum will be gratefully accepted. Voting is by secret ballot: only one vote per person, and you must sign your ballot. "Write-ins" are permitted. You may change your vote at any time prior to the deadline.

Deadline Votes in this race must reach the administrators by 14 March 1987.

Voting details [1] TAFF uses a preferential ballot system which guarantees automatic runoffs until a majority is obtained. You rank the candidates in the exact order of your preference for them. If the leading first-place candidate does not get a majority, the first-place votes for the lowest-ranking candidate are dropped, and the second-place votes on those ballots are counted as first-place votes. This process repeats itself until one candidate has a majority. It is therefore important to vote for second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth place on your ballot. Also, it is a waste of time to vote for any candidate in more than one place. [2] One other requirement obtains. To win, a candidate must receive at least 20% of the first-ballot first-place votes cast on both sides of the Atlantic, separately. Any candidate failing to receive this minimum percentage on either side will be dropped, and the second-place votes on their ballots counted as first-place votes in the next ballot count. It is therefore important for candidates and their supporters to canvass fans on both sides of the Atlantic. It should be noted that, while you may send your ballot to either Administrator, it will be tabulated with the other votes from the side of the Atlantic on which you reside. Finally, votes from fans not resident in either Europe or North America will not be counted toward either 20% minimum (but are almost certain to affect any given race anyway, so don't let this stop you from voting).

Hold Over Funds This choice, similar to "No Award" in Hugo balloting, gives voters the chance to vote for no TAFF trip this year, if the candidates don't appeal to them or if they feel TAFF should slow down its trip frequency. Hold Over Funds may be voted for in any position, and is exempt from the 20% requirement: thus, should it ultimately receive a majority of votes on the final ballot, no TAFF trip will be held this year, regardless of how many votes Hold Over Funds received on the first ballot.

Donations TAFF gratefully accepts freely-given donations of money and of material for auction; such generosity has sustained the Fund for over 33 years. If you are ineligible to vote, or do not feel qualified to make a choice, why not donate anyway? TAFF is fandom's oldest travel fund, and one of its worthiest causes.

Candidates Each candidate has posted a bond, promising -- barring Acts of God -- to travel to the 1987 World Science Fiction Convention in Brighton, England if elected, and has provided signed nominations and a platform, reproduced overleaf above the ballot.

SEND BALLOTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO: in NORTH AMERICA: Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden, 75 Fairview #2B, New York NY 10040 USA, or
in EUROPE: Greg Pickersgill, 7A Lawrence Road, South Ealing, London W5 4XJ UK.

IMPORTANT: Make checks payable to the Nielsen Haydens or to Greg Pickersgill, please, not to "TAFF", and make them payable in the appropriate administrator's home currency.

Reproductions of this form are encouraged provided that the text is reproduced verbatim Both sides). Persons reproducing it should substitute their own names below.

This version produced by Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden. [HTML adaptation by Dave Langford.]

side 2:

1986-87 TAFF Ballot

Bill Bowers

Once, Long Ago & Far Away, I co-won a TAFF election, but for Reasons then Valid (at least to me) -- I was unable to go ... although a TAFF winner did make the trip that year. If anyone has a problem with that ... I don't have a problem with them. That said, why "stand" again? Well, ConSpiracy will mark the 25th Anniversary of my First Con ... I'd like very much to attend ... and, Real Soon After, issue the most esoteric, ellipse-r/i/d/d/e/n/-filled TAFF report ever! Here's your chance to be referenced in it ... Vote Now!

Nominators: Sheryl Birkhead, Ian Covell, Mike Glicksohn, Terry Jeeves, and Pat Mueller.

Brian Earl Brown

I have one word why you should vote me your TAFF delegate -- Sticky Quarters. Wait. That's two words. I have two words why you should vote for me -- Mad Scientist's Digest. No -- three words why you should vote for me -- The Whole Fanzine Catalog. No four words ... oh, bloody hell. -- I've wanted to visit England ever since getting my first British fanzine over a decade ago. The Rats, The Gannets, KFT. They sounded like they're having a great time. If there's a secret to it I'd like to try to bring it back to America.

Nominators: Eric Bentcliffe, John Berry, Eric May er, Joyce Scrivner, and Taral.

Mike Glicksohn

I am running for TAFF because I believe a TAFF candidacy should be based on activities and for two decades no American fan has exceeded my interaction with British fandom. I have to run this year because I cannot get off work at Easter. I love talking about fandom and have been active in most areas of fanac, winning a Hugo and -- being a Worldcon FanGoH. I love to party, to drink and to converse and am perhaps too polite (which I attribute to being British by birth). If you see TAFF my way, I'd appreciate your support. Vote Canadian!

Nominators: Bill Bowers, Harlan Ellison, Terry Hughes, Dave Langford, and Bob Shaw.

Jeanne Gomoll

I publish Whimsey now. But I've also co-edited Janus (3 Hugo nominations), worked on Aurora, contributed to zillions of fanzines, plus AWA and CRAPA, and received two FAAns (art, editing), and two Hugo nominations (fan art). I've weathered 11 years of WisCon concom meetings, and been honored as a GoH at three conventions -- all conspiratorially beginning with the letter 'A'. If elected, I promise: (1) to publish a Spike-proofread trip report, (2) to continue the tradition of TAFF auction-by-mail (L.L. Bean catalog format), (3) to resist the temptation of a Brit CoA, and (4) to at least try the beer.

Nominators: Jerry Kaufman & Suzanne Tompkins, Linda Pickersgill, Stu Shiffman, Willie Siros, and Pam Wells.

Robert Lichtman

In the real world I'm a single parent with four kids and live in Glen Ellen, California. Fandom is a place where I find pleasure and conversation with like-minded friends of all ages. I've been an active fanzine fan since 1958 and have published three general circulation fanzines: Psi-Phi, Frap and nowadays Trap Door. I've "known" and been known by many fans in the U.K. through letters and fanzines over the years -- (and have met a few) and would welcome the opportunity to hoist a pint with them all, starting on my 45th birthday: the opening day of ConSpiracy, the 45th Worldcon.

Nominators: Allyn Cadogan, Chuch Harris, Lucy Huntzinger, Ted White, and Owen Whiteoak.

Please read both sides of this sheet before voting. Send the entire ballot -- do not detach.

I VOTE FOR (rank 1-2-3-4-5-6):

( __ ) Bill Bowers
( __ ) Brian Earl Brown
( __ ) Jeanne Gomoll
( __ ) Robert Lichtman
( __ ) Hold Over Funds

Reference(s):




Signature:


Name and address (legibly, please):




Enclosed is _______ as a contribution to TAFF. Please make checks, etc., payable to the Nielsen Haydens or to Greg Pickersgill, please, not to "TAFF," and payable in the currency of that administrator's home country. If you think your name may not be known to the administrators, then in order to qualify to vote please give, in the space to the left, the name and address of an active fan (not a "fan group") who is known to them and to whom you are known.