1999 TAFF BALLOT
North America to Europe

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 $3 or £2. These votes, and the continued generosity of fandom, are what make TAFF possible.

Who may vote? Voting in the 1999 race is open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to April 1997, and who contributes at least $3 or £2 to the Fund. Larger contributions will be gratefully accepted. Voting is by secret ballot: only one vote per person, and you must sign your ballot. You may change your vote any time prior to the deadline.

Deadline: Votes in this race must reach the administrators by midnight December 5, 1998.

Voting details: 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. Your votes for second and third place are important, but you may give your candidate only one ranking on your ballot. In order to win, a candidate must receive at least 20% of the first-ballot first-place votes 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. Thus candidates and their supporters will need to canvass fans on both sides of the pond. You may send your ballot to either administrator, but it will be tabulated with the other votes from the side of the Atlantic on which you reside. Votes from fans not resident in either Europe or North America will not count towards either 20% minimum, but are important to the outcome of the race.

Hold Over Funds: This choice, like "No Award" in Hugo balloting, gives you the chance to vote for no TAFF trip this year, if the candidates do not appeal. Hold Over Funds may be voted for in any position, and is exempt from the 20% requirement; thus, if it receives a majority of the 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.

No Preference: For voters who prefer not to choose between candidates, but don't want the trip held over.

Donations: TAFF gratefully accepts your freely given money and material for auction; such generosity has sustained the Fund for over 40 years. TAFF is fandom's oldest travel fund, and one of its worthiest causes -- give early and often! Please contact your nearest administrator for details.

Candidates: Each candidate has posted a bond, promising -- barring Acts of God -- to travel to Reconvene, the 50th Annual British National Science Fiction Convention, in Liverpool, England, April 2-5, 1999, if elected; and has provided signed nominations and a platform (overleaf).

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

Name:

Address:

Phone number or e-mail address (we do not list or exchange this information):

Signature: ___________________________________

Enclosed is ____________ as a contribution to TAFF. Please make cheques etc. payable to "Ulrika O'Brien" or "Maureen Kincaid Speller", not to "TAFF", and in the currency of the administrator's country. If you think your name may not be known to the administrators, then in order to qualify your vote, please give, in the space below, the name and address of an active fan (not a fan group, a candidate or their nominator) who is known to them and to whom you are known:


1999 TAFF BALLOT
North America to Europe

Velma "Vijay" Bowen

Seventeen years in fandom: apahacking, con-running, fanzines, late night conversations, friendships around the world. You could usually find me working in the consuite in the mornings, or listening to tales of Fandom's Golden Years.

In two years of semi-gafiation, I gathered interesting material for fan articles by modeling, acting in bad movies, being set on fire.... Now I'm diving headfirst back into the heart of fandom. I'm gullible enough to be talked into almost anything for curiosity or the sake of a good story, and I'd like to redeem my family honor by writing and publishing a complete TAFF report.

Nominators: Avedon Carol & Rob Hansen, Jerry Kaufman, Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Vicki Rosenzweig, Alison Scott.

Sarah Prince

I have been a fan since January 1st, 1976. The bulk of my fanac took place in the next few years. Once upon a time I thought it would be "interesting" to run for TAFF, so I ought to pub my ish (getting out of the apazine ghetto) to get to know people Over There. But with that goal accomplished, one wouldn't need TAFF to have people to visit. Now I have cause and effect even more confused, in standing for TAFF in order to resuscitate my fanac. Would winning magically make me sociable, or shall I hide behind a camera forever?

Nominators: Steve Davies, Cathy Doyle, Gary Farber, Doug Faunt, Pat McMurray.


Please read and fill out both sides of this sheet. Send in entire sheet as your vote. Do not detach this portion!

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

[ ] Velma "Vijay" Bowen

[ ] Sarah Prince

[ ] Hold Over Funds

[ ] No Preference

Send ballot & donation to:

Ulrika O'Brien, 123 Melody Lane, #C, Costa Mesa, CA 92627, USA

Maureen Kincaid Speller, 60 Bournemouth Road, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 5AZ , England

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: Dave Langford