2007 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 2007 race is open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to April 2005, 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, PST, Saturday 6 January 2007. This is 8 AM, GMT, Sunday 7 January 2007.

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 50 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, if elected, to: Eastercon 2007, 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 need your full contact details. TAFF may need to contact you regarding your ballot or to send out newsletters. We do not publish this data or pass it to any other organisation.)

Signature: _____________________________________________________________________

Enclosed is __________ as a contribution to TAFF.

Please make checks/cheques, etc., payable to:

'Suzanne Tompkins' for US dollar checks mailed to Suzanne.

'TAFF' for all UK (sterling) cheques posted to Bridget Bradshaw.

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:

Active fan known to the administrator: _________________________________________________


2007 TAFF Ballot -- North America to Europe

Chris Garcia

Christopher J. Garcia is a fan. That's probably the best way to put it. There are specifics, like the zines Chris edits (The Drink Tank, Claims Department, SF/SF) and the fact that he has made films and run fanzine lounges, that are just icing on the cake. Chris grew up with a fannish father who introduced him to cons and to zines like Granfalloon, Holier Than Thou and Niekas. Chris makes this one promise: if he wins, within 30 days of his plane touching down back home, he'll have a complete and beautiful trip report ready to circulate!

Nominators: Arnie & Joyce Katz (US), John Nielsen Hall (UK), John Purcell (US), Peter Sullivan (UK), Frank Wu (US)

Mary Kay Kare

After 30 years in fandom I've learned to be good at building bridges. I've done conrunning, zines, apas, dealing, and filking. I'm very active in online fandom these days too. I am, she said, modestly, renowned for the greatness of my parties.

Still, that's only half the battle, and there are reasons why I'd make an excellent administrator. I'm detail oriented, can balance checkbooks, and love playing with spreadsheets. I already have experience with TAFF auctions, and I travel to lots of cons at which to hold those auctions.

Nominators: Karen Babich (US), Moshe Feder & Lise Eisenberg (US), Sue Mason (UK), Andi Shechter & Stu Shiffman (US), Maureen Kincaid Speller (UK)

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 Garcia

[ __ ] Mary Kay Kare

[ __ ] Hold Over Funds

[ __ ] No Preference

Send ballot & donation to:

Suzanne Tompkins, PO Box 25075, Seattle, WA 98165 USA (check made out to: Suzanne Tompkins)
-- suzlet at aol com

Bridget Bradshaw, 103 Rustat Road, Cambridge, CB1 3QG UK (cheque made out to: TAFF)
-- taffbug at googlemail com

For more information on TAFF, visit: http://taff.org.uk

Reproduction of this form is encouraged. It is the official voting vehicle and must be reproduced verbatim.

Anyone doing so should substitute his or her name here: Suzanne Tompkins [HTML conversion by Dave Langford]