TAFF 2000 Ballot
Europe to North America

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

Who may vote? Voting in the 2000 race is open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to August 1998, 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 at any time prior to the deadline.

Deadline: Votes in this race must reach the administrators by midnight May 6, 2000.

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 need to 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 auctions; 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 -- bar Acts of God -- to travel to Chicon 2000, the 58th Worldcon, in Chicago, Illinois, USA; August 31-September 4, 2000, 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: __________________________________ Signature ___________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______

Phone number: _________________________________ Email address: __________________________________

(We do not list or exchange this information)

Enclosed is __________ as a contribution to TAFF. Please make cheques etc. payable to 'Maureen Speller' or ' Ulrika O'Brien', 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 nominators) who is known to them and to whom you are known:


Tommy Ferguson

Why I'm standing for TAFF. I believe that TAFF: shouldn't be a race, just for the sake of it. Should not go to one fan just because they can't afford to travel. Is vitally important to fandom.

I promise: to write a trip report before the end of the year 2000. To administer the fund effectively and fairly. (Every penny/cent will not be counted, but every pound/dollar will be.) To be gregarious. To be the life and soul of the party. To be a good TAFF candidate.

Nominators: Mike Glicksohn, Andy Hooper, Paul Kincaid, Greg Pickersgill, Pam Wells.

Sue Mason

My first con was in 1982. Since then I've been a gamer, filker, costumer, dealer, apahack. On the committee of a filkcon and an Eastercon. I Mced the Glasgow Worldcon masquerade -- I'm so shy and retiring.

Fanzine fandom discovered that I was a soft touch, fan-eds started sending me fanzines, I sent them illos in return, sometimes of what they asked for. But no moose. I'm making more and more friends in America, through fanzines and the Internet. I'd love to put faces to those names. I promise to leave fillos fluttering in my wake, like confetti.

Nominators: Claire Brialey, Victor Gonzalez, Dave Langford, Vicki Rosenzweig, Alison Scott.

Tobes Valois

Fish, aardvark, hat-stand -- alright, why should you vote for me? Buggered if I know. I'd like to go to the Worldcon, meet the few American fans I know and the many I don't. I can't afford to go otherwise, which is in keeping with the spirit of TAFF. Tobes for TAFF because Americans carry guns? Been done already. I've been in fandom for five years, have done a few fanzines, chaired a spoof Eastercon bid, but I've done bugger all fanac except party and consume unfeasibly large quanties of booze. Vote for me because I know how to have fun.

Nominators: Nic Farey, Anders Holmstrom, Pat McMurray, John D. Rickett, Nigel Rowe.


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.):

[ ] Tommy Ferguson

[ ] Sue Mason

[ ] Tobes Valois

[ ] Hold Over Funds

[ ] No Preference

Send ballot & donation to:

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

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

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