2020 TAFF Ballot
North America to Europe

Please read both sides before voting and send the entire sheet as your vote.

The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund was created in 1953 for the purpose of providing funds to bring well-known and active 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. It exists solely through the support of science fiction fandom; the continued generosity of fans is what makes TAFF possible.

Who may vote?
Voting in the 2020 race is open to anyone active in fandom before January 2018 who donates at least $4 (USD) or £3 (GBP) or €3 (EUR) to TAFF (larger donations are very gratefully accepted). Voting is by secret ballot: one vote per person, and you must provide your name on the ballot. You may change your vote at any time prior to the deadline. All votes must reach the administrators by 11:59pm (Pacific US time) on Sunday, January 12, 2020.

Donations:
TAFF gratefully accepts your freely given money, material for auction and other relevant donations; such generosity has sustained the Fund for more than 60 years. TAFF is fandom's longest-running travel fund – give early and often! Please contact your nearest administrator for details.

Candidates:
Each candidate has posted a bond of $20 promising to travel, if elected, to Concentric: Eastercon 2020, in Birmingham, UK. Each candidate has three nominators on their side of the Atlantic and two on the other, each of whom has personally contacted the administrators with their nomination. Each candidate has also provided a platform of up to 101 words (published overleaf). Anyone active in SF fandom can run for TAFF as long as they fulfill these criteria for the relevant race; contact your administrator about future races!

Voting system:
TAFF uses a preferential voting system similar to the system used in voting for the Hugo Awards. Voters should rank candidates in order of preference. This allows for the lowest-ranked candidates to be eliminated from the race and those votes redistributed according to the next ranking until one candidate has a clear majority. A candidate must also receive at least 20% of the first-place votes on both sides of the Atlantic to win. 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. (Note: In years with more than three candidates, the "20% rule" is not applied until after the candidates with the fewest votes have been eliminated and there are just three candidates left.) Votes will be counted according to a voter's contact address, not where they send their ballot. Votes from fans not resident in either Europe or North America will not count towards either side of the Atlantic for the purpose of this rule.

"Hold Over Funds":
This choice, like "No Award" in Hugo balloting, gives you the chance to vote for no TAFF trip this year, should you feel none of the candidates deserve your support. "Hold Over Funds" is exempt from the 20% requirement: if it receives a majority of the votes on the final ballot, no trip will be held this year.

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

How to vote:
Vote using the online form at taff.org.uk or mail a copy of this ballot. Pay using PayPal or with a check (if you mail a ballot). If you cannot vote using the online form or a paper ballot, you can fill in your contact details and your ranked voting preferences in the comments section of a PayPal payment. The minimum donation to vote is $4 (USD) or £3 (GBP) or €3 (EUR). Checks should be made payable to "Geri Sullivan" (for checks in USD) or to "TAFF" (for cheques in GBP or EUR). PayPal donations should be made to one of the email addresses below. If you mail your printed and signed ballot, send it and your donation to:

North America: Geri Sullivan – checks in US$ payable to "Geri Sullivan". Mail the ballot to Geri Sullivan, 37 Monson Rd, Wales, MA 01081-9743 USA. PayPal payments to: TAFF@toad-hall.com

Europe: Johan Anglemark – cheques in UK £ or € payable to "TAFF". Mail the ballot to Johan Anglemark, Lingonv. 10, SE-74340 Storvreta, Sweden. PayPal payments to: EUTAFF@gmail.com

The 2020 TAFF Candidates

Michael Lowrey

My first convention (1975) was the best thing that ever happened to me. I have loved, married and parented within the tribe. I've been active: fanzines and apas, the N3F, mailing lists, Usenet, social media. I've pubbed my ish, and been officer of a local SF club.

I am a Fan, free citizen of the ImagiNation. Whatever else I may be – husband, daddy, union leader, Esperantist, wearer of orange garments, Quaker, feminist, Irishman, Mac user, Wobbly, Hordesman, Wikipedian – this is my Way of Life. My cunning plan remains: to meet fans all over Over There, as many places as possible. FIAWOL!

Nominated by: (NA) James Nicoll, Steven H Silver, Curt Phillips; (Europe) Rob Hansen, John-Henri Holmberg

Ann Totusek

Michael Lowrey is a Midwestern fan most easily recognizable as "Orange Mike" for wearing all orange at conventions. TAFF is intended to strengthen ties between Atlantic and European fandom, and I can think of no-one better for this than Mike. His dedication working towards the well-being of others is unmatched, and his grasp of the importance of freedom of speech, the press, and maintaining an informed populace make him a fascinating panelist. I am honored to be nominated for the TAFF award and, as I have previously attended Eastercon while he has not, the platform for my campaign is "Send Mike!"

Nominated by: (NA) Carol Kennedy, Joyce Scrivner, Michael Siladi; (Europe) DC, Pat McMurray


Please rank candidates with 1, 2, etc. where 1 is your first preference:

[ ] Michael Lowrey [ ] Ann Totusek
[ ] Hold Over Funds [ ] No Preference

Name:

Address:

Email/phone:

If you think your name may not be known to the administrators, please provide the name of an active fan (not a fan group, a candidate, or one of their nominators) who is known to the administrators and who can vouch for you being an active fan, eligible to vote.

Name:

TAFF may contact you over this race. We will publish a list of voters, but will not reveal how you voted or pass your data to any other organization.

All votes must reach the administrators by 11:59pm (Pacific US time) on Sunday, January 12, 2020.

Reproduction of this form is encouraged. It is the official voting vehicle and must be reproduced verbatim. Anyone reproducing this form should substitute their name here: David Langford