Taff Ballot 2017
John Purcell is the 2017 winner!
Welcome to the 2017 TAFF Race.
Deadline now extended to: 17th April 2017 Midnight BST/16:00 PDT/17:00 MDT/18:00 CDT/19:00 EDT.
Meet our three candidates:
Sarah Gulde
What’s the best part of a con? The membership, of course! At Loncon 3 and Sasquan I made new friends from around the world. It’s a trend I’d like to continue in Helsinki – because that’s what TAFF is all about!
In my spare time I organize geeky fundraisers for my local food bank, where I’m on the Board of Directors. I’ve been involved in several local cons, was the treasurer of Westercon 69, and ran my own con in October 2016: “NERD CAMP”.
I look forward to the opportunity to fundraise for and administrate TAFF – thanks for your vote!
Nominated by: (NA) Nisi Shawl, Randy Byers, and Lea Rush. (Europe) David Langford, Sarita Robinson
Alissa McKersie
Here you go, exactly what you needed, another tough election…
I’m usually running Kids’ Program, no matter where the convention is (from Chicon 7 to Loncon 3). Ask kids and parents about it…in other related news, I was one of the editors on stage when Journey Planet won a Hugo. In my real life job I’m a fundraiser for a non-profit, so it carries over! I wrote about my three-month journey in and around Ireland for friends and family, so a trip report will be doing the same thing! I look forward to sharing adventures with and meeting new people.
Nominated by: (NA) Chris Garcia, Meg Frank, Dave and Elizabeth McCarty. (Europe) James Shields, Emma England
John Purcell
John Purcell (College Station, Texas), an active fan since 1973, discovered fandom at the tender age of 19 in Minneapolis, Minnesota via Minicon 7. Fannish karma, that. Since then he has published multiple fanzines, apazines, attended and worked on assorted conventions (most recently the LoneStarCon III fanzine lounge coordinator in 2013), finished second to John Hertz in the 2010 DUFF race, currently produces the online fanzine Askance (www.efanzines.com), the paper-only personalzine Askew, and most recently edited/published the one-shot Shitgibbon: the Rant-thology. John and his artist/crafter wife Valerie share passions for Steampunk, Whoviana, gawd-awful skiffy movies, grandchildren, grilling, and dark lager.
Nominated by: (NA) Jacqueline Monahan, Lloyd & Yvonne Penney, David Thayer. (Europe) Jim Mowatt, Ro Nagey.
Please rank candidates with 1, 2, etc. where 1 is your first preference:
[ ] Sarah Gulde
[ ] Alissa McKersie
[ ] John Purcell
[ ] Hold Over Funds
[ ] No Preference
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.
Please give us your:
Name:
Address:
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TAFF may contact you regarding your ballot or to send out newsletters. We do not publish your data or pass it to any other organisation.
2017 TAFF Ballot – North America to Europe
What is it?
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 fandom. That support, and the continued generosity of fandom, are what make TAFF possible.
Who may vote?
Voting in the 2017 race is open to anyone active in fandom before April 2015 who donates at least £3.00 (GBP) or $3.00 (USD) 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 midnight (Eastern US time) on Saturday, March 4, 2017.
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, and one of its worthiest causes – 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 the 2017 Worldcon in Helsinki, Finland. 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 fulfil these criteria for the relevant race; contact your administrator about future races!
Voting System:
TAFF uses a preference 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 receive at least 20% of the #1 rank 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. 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:
Either print this out and send it with a check, or pay via PayPal. The minimum donation to vote is $3 (USD) or £3 (GBP) or 3 Euros. In the US Checks should be made payable to “Curt Phillips” (for checks in USD) or to “TAFF” (for cheques in GBP or Euros). PayPal donations should be made to the email addresses below with your contact details and your ranked voting preferences in the comments’ section. If you do not fill in the comments section, your vote may not be counted! Send your signed and completed ballot form and donation to:
Europe: Anna Raftery – cheques payable to “TAFF”
13 Chatham House, 10 Melbourne Road, Wallington, SM6 8SB UK
:North America: Curt Phillips – Checks payable to “Curt Phillips”
19310 Pleasant View Dr. Abingdon, VA 24211.
Paypal using email: absarka_prime [at] comcast.net
