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 2002 race is open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to April 2000, 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, 2 June, 2002.
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 Con José, the 60th World Science Fiction Convention, in San José, California, 29 August - 2 September 2002, 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 "Velma J. Bowen" or "Sue Mason", 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:
side 1 ends; side 2 begins
2002 TAFF BALLOT -- Europe to North America
Chris O'Shea
Hi, I'm Chris O'Shea, my badgename is "The Magician", mostly because I've been doing card and coin tricks since I was sixteen mumbledy-mumble years ago [*]. Convention Firsts: Actual First: Disclave 80. Media: Fanderson 83. WorldCon: ConFederation 1986. I've written fanzines, APA articles, drawn fillos, costumed, filked, run tech, set up the art show, managed registration, worked the Taff auction, sold slaves, MCd cabarets+masquerades, performed in plays (and fannish musicals!), run SMOF.COM, worked at every level from gopher to WorldCon board and on every type of convention including Babylon 5/Filk/Costuming/Conrunning/relaxacon/sercon etc! Bad puns a speciality! Oh, and I like science fiction!
[*] about 22 years ago.
Nominators: Sandra Bond, Mike Glyer, Ian Sorensen, Maureen Kincaid Speller, Ben Yalow
Tobes Valois
I am a European, rather than just a British candidate. I'm standing because friends think I'd make a good candidate, a fun person who also cares about fandom. I do, but what I care about most are fans. These people are my friends and I enjoy nothing more than talking, drinking and partying with them at conventions. If I win, I will go to Worldcon and I will have fun or die trying. I'm looking forward to meeting American fans on their home turf.
Nominators: Jae Leslie Adams, James Bacon, Dave Hicks, Anders Holmström, Ted White
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.):
[ __ ] Chris O'Shea
[ __ ] Tobes Valois
[ __ ] Hold Over Funds
[ __ ] No Preference
Send ballot & donation to:
Velma J. Bowen, P.O. Box 156, Village Station, New York NY 10014-0156, USA
Sue Mason, 3 York Street, Altrincham, Cheshire WA15 9QH
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: Alison Scott