This page summarizes the history of TransAtlantic Fan Fund voting -- counting methods, changes to the rules, significant new ballot wording, and so on. After numerous experiments in the early years, notable changes are the introduction of the "bond" or registration fee paid by candidates as an earnest of serious intent, in 1961 (though the amount was not again published on the ballot until 2010); of the single transferable vote and "Hold Over Funds" option in 1966; of the 20% rule in 1986; and elimination of write-in votes in 1993. Initial, boldfaced year numbers link to the relevant ballot forms.
- 1952 The original "one-off" fund to take Walt Willis to the USA had no alternative candidates, so no voting was involved.
- 1954 Voting fee 2/6d or 50¢. With a slate of seven candidates to be ranked from 1 to 7, points were awarded to candidates on the basis of "7 points for a first place vote, 6 for second, and so on". The ballot discussed the possibility, never in fact invoked, of allowing a runner-up to take the trip if the winner was unable to do so. (See 1955.)
- 1955 Voting fee 2/6d or 50¢. Six candidates and three voting slots. From the ballot form: "Note. The method of counting will be as usual in this type of election -- i.e. your first choice will get 3 points, your second 2, and your third 1. This type of proportional representation is equivalent to a series of eliminating ballots and is designed to ensure that if your first choice doesn't win your vote won't have been wasted. However, it is of course open to you to 'plump' for a candidate by not using your second and third votes." Also of interest: Walt Willis asked, "In the unlikely event of the winner being unable to travel would you please say here how far down the poll you think I should go to offer the money before carrying it over to next year. Ie, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th place? Put a circle round where you think I shold stop." See 1956 for development of this notion.
- 1956 Voting fee 2/6d or 50¢. Eight candidates. Same points system as 1955. An addition to the ballot: "'Write-in' votes are allowed." Also of interest: "If the winner of the election proves unable to travel the opportunity will be offered to the runner-up, and then to No. 3 provided he got more than 25% of the total points. If he cannot go or the amount in the Fund is not enough to send anyone, the money will be carried over to 1957 and there will be an entirely fresh election." Versions of this proviso appeared on ballots until it was lost in the voting revision of 1966. Since the winner Lee Hoffman declined the support of TAFF, the trip was offered to the runner-up Forrest J Ackerman -- who also declined.
- 1957 Voting fee 2/6d or 50¢. Eight candidates. Voting system as in 1955, with this modification: "Your first choice will be awarded 3 points, your second 2, and your third 1. Smartest way to boost your favorite candidate is to write his name in all three choices for a total of 6 points." This was controversial.
- 1958 Voting fee 2/6d or 50¢. Four candidates. Voting system restored to the 1955-6 norm: "N.B. Your first choice will receive 3 points, your second 2 points, and your third 1 point. You may vote for any one candidate once only. If you wish you may leave blank the third and/or second places."
- 1959 Voting fee 2/6d or 50¢. Three candidates. Voting system as in 1955, with further clarification: "Note. Your first choice will receive 3 points, your second 2 points, and your third 1 point. You may vote for any one candidate once only. If you wish to cast all your support for one candidate, you may place his/her name as first choice only, leaving second and third blank. Under no circumstances will more than 3 points be allowed any one candidate on any one ballot."
- 1960 Voting fee 2/6d or 50¢. Three candidates. Voting system as in 1955.
- 1961 Voting fee 2/6d or 50¢. Two candidates. Bond: $5 ("both candidates paid $10.00 registration fee instead of the required $5.00"). Voting system temporarily simplified to a single "I VOTE FOR" slot on the ballot: "Note since there are only two candidates, the voting procedure has been slightly modified."
- 1962 Voting fee 2/6d or 50¢. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1961.
- 1963 Voting fee increased to 5/-d (five shillings) or $1.00. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system modified from 1955 with two voting slots only, for first and second place, rather than three. "A first-place vote is worth two points; a second-place vote is worth one point."
- 1964 Voting fee 5/-d or $1.00. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Single voting slot as in 1961.
- 1965 Voting fee 5/-d or $1.00. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Two-slot voting system as in 1963.
- 1966 Voting fee 5/-d or $1.00. Four candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system reformed to introduce the "Australian Ballot" (single transferable vote) and the "Hold Over Funds" option, as described at length in TAFF Progress Report #8.
- 1968 Voting fee 5/-d or $1.00. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1969 Voting fee 5/-d or $1.00. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1970 Voting fee presumably $1.00 -- ballot not seen. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1971 Voting fee $1.00 or equivalent -- UK ballot not seen. Four candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote). The wording of the ballot now approaches its modern form with the subheadings "What is TAFF?", "Who May Vote?", etc. -- briefly explaining the Fund rather than assuming that a true fan will know all this.
- 1973 Voting fee $1.00 or equivalent -- UK ballot not seen. Three candidacies, one solo and two joint. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1974 Voting fee $1.00 or equivalent -- UK ballot not seen. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1976 Voting fee $1.00 or equivalent -- UK ballot not seen. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1977 Voting fee $1.00 or 75p. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1979 Voting fee $1.00 or equivalent -- UK ballot not seen. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1980 Voting fee $1.00 or 50p. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1981 Voting fee $1.00 or 50p. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1982 Voting fee $1.00 or 50p. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1983 Voting fee $1.00 or 50p. Four candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1984 Voting fee $1.00 or 50p. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1985 Voting fee $1.00 or 50p. Two candidacies, one joint, plus a substantial write-in campaign. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote).
- 1986 Voting fee $1.00 or £1 (UK increase). Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1966 (single transferable vote), amended by the introduction of the 20% rule. This change is described and explained in Taffluvia 2, which includes a specimen ballot form.
- 1987 Voting fee $1.00 or £1. Four candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1986 (single transferable vote with 20% rule).
- 1988 Voting fee $1.00 or £1. Three candidacies, one joint. Bond: no mention. Voting system as in 1986 (single transferable vote with 20% rule).
- 1989 Voting fee $1.00 or £1. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1986 (single transferable vote with 20% rule).
- 1991 Voting fee $2.00 (US increase) or £1. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1986 (single transferable vote with 20% rule).
- 1992 Voting fee $2.00 or £1. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1986 (single transferable vote with 20% rule).
- 1993 Voting fee $2.00 or £1. Four candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1986 (single transferable vote with 20% rule), further amended by abolition of the write-in vote option. This was announced in TAFFervescent 4 and further discussed in TAFFervescent 5. The usual phrase "'Write-ins' are permitted." was changed to "'Write-ins' are not permitted." on the 1993 ballot form.
- 1995 Voting fee $2.00 or £1. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins). The 1995 and subsequent ballot forms omit any mention of write-in votes.
- 1996 Voting fee $2.00 or £1. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 1998 eastbound Voting fee $2.00 or £1. Four candidates. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 1998 westbound Voting fee $2.00 or £1. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 1999 Voting fee increased to $3.00 or £2. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2000 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2001 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2002 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2003 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Four candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2004 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2005 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2006 Voting fee $3.00, £2 or 3. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2007 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins). Race postponed -- votes on this ballot were not counted.
- 2008 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Four candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2009 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2010 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Two candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2011 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Four candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2012 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2013 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Two candidates. Bond: £15. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2014 Voting fee $3.00 or £2. Three candidates. Bond: amount not specified. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2015 Voting fee $3.00, £2 or 3. Two candidates. Bond: £15 or the equivalent in Euro. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2016 Voting fee $3.00, £2 or 3. Two candidates. Bond: £15. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2017 Voting fee $3.00, £3 or 3. Three candidates. Bond: $20. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2018 Voting fee $4.00, £3 or 3.50. Three candidates. Bond: $20. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).
- 2019 Voting fee $4.00, £3 or 3.00. Four candidates. Bond: $20. Voting system as in 1993 (single transferable vote with 20% rule, no write-ins).