1993 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 sent 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 $2 or £1. These votes, and the continued generosity of fandom, are what make TAFF possible.

Who may vote? -- Voting in the 1993 race is open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to September 1991, and who contributes at least $2 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 not permitted.You may change your vote any time prior to the deadline.

Deadline: Votes in this race must reach the administrators by 1 May 1993.

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 an overall majority. It is therefore important to vote for second, third and fourth 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 in any position, and is exempt from the 20% requirement. Should it ultimately receive a majority of votes on the final ballot, no TAFF trip will be awarded 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 40 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 1993 World Science Fiction Convention, Confrancisco, in San Francisco, California (September 3-6, 1993) if elected; and has provided signed nominations and a platform, reproduced overleaf above the ballot.

Send ballots and contributions to:

In North America:

Jeanne Bowman
P.O. Box 982
Glen Ellen
CA 95442-0982
USA

In Europe:

Pam Wells
24A Beech Road
Bowes Park
London N11 2DA
UK

NB: Make cheques payable to relevant individual, NOT TO TAFF.

side 2:

1993 TAFF Ballot -- North America to Europe

Michael Ashley

True Confessions: I went to my first convention -- Novacon 7 in 1977 -- aged 15. Been to one or two more since then plus have written innumerable fun-packed fanzine articles. Been voted best British fanwriter in 1988 and 1991 Nova awards. Edited eight issues of award-winning Saliromania. Member of all-powerful Leeds Group Mafia for last seven years, with intimate knowledge of all leading UK fans. Interests: drink, gossip, and good writing. TAFF pledge: will write trip report to end all trip reports. Why vote for me? Easy -- the alternatives are too dull for words. Plus I'm young, cute and single. You want fannish fun? Sorted.

Nominators: Hazel Ashworth, Lucy Huntzinger, Linda Krawecke, Robert Lichtman and Ian Sorensen.

Tony Berry

As befits a Secret Master Tony appears to stay in the background, whilst quietly shaping Fandom at large. Expert at stating the obvious, founder member and nomenclator of Frank's APA, fanzine producer, twice Novacon chairman and committee member of several others, and all-round good guy.

Asked why he would like to win TAFF, he replied 'There are three good reasons to go to San Francisco: to ride the trams, visit the micro-breweries, and to hire a Ford Mustang and re-enact the chase sequence from Bullitt. Oh yeah, and I'd like to go to an American Worldcon as well'.

Nominators: Harry Bell, Linda Blanchard & Dave Bridges, Anne Page, Spike Parsons and Martin Tudor.

Abigail Frost

YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR ABIGAIL BECAUSE:

Anything she could say about Tony Berry would only make him sound more interesting *** Ashley Watkins just hasn't been the same since he gave up transvestism *** Michael Ashley will not, as promised, spend all the money on drink, but will keep TAFF in apple-pie order, thereby depriving us all of honest mirth, which we badly need in these hard times *** All the other rumoured candidates were only trying to stop each other *** It will get right up Avedon Carol's nose.

Vote for the woman of your choice!

Nominators: Lilian Edwards, Jeanne Gomoll, Dave Langford, Joseph Nicholas and Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Ashley Watkins

Did I really attend a con in drag? Yes, but not many people know I'm a lesbian. What is the horrible truth behind the 'Dear John' Prevert cover? Why was there a trail of broken hearts among the cast of Spock in Manacles? Is it true the hotel manager fancied the only Amazon who wasn't a woman? Were all the seats really wet after the show?

Only I can kiss and tell....

Mr Flibble says that if I win TAFF I can stay in America and attend cons until they get sick of me, or at least until the money runs out.

Nominators: Bill Bodden, Don Herron, John Jarrold, Darroll Pardoe and Geoff Ryman

Please read both sides of this sheet before voting. Send entire sheet as vote.

I vote for (rank 1, 2, 3, 4 etc):

[ __ ] Michael Ashley

[ __ ] Tony Berry

[ __ ] Abigail Frost

[ __ ] Ashley Watkins

[ __ ] Hold Over Funds

[ __ ] No Preference

Signature


Name and address (legibly, please):










Enclosed is ________ as a contribution to TAFF. Please make cheques etc. payable to Jeanne Bowman or Pam Wells, 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 please give, in the space below, the name and address of an active fan (not a fan group, a candidate or their nominator) to whom you are known:


Reproduction of this form is encouraged. It is the official voting vehicle and must be reproduced verbatim. Anyone doing so should substitute their name here: Martin Tudor. [HTML adaptation by Dave Langford.]