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 $2 or £1. These votes, and the continued generosity of fandom, are what make TAFF possible.

Who may vote? Voting in the 1997 race is open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to September 1995, and who contributes at least $2 or £1 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 13 December 1997.

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 Intuition, the 1998 National British Convention, in Manchester, England, 10-13 April 1998, 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 # or e-mail address:____________________________

Signature:____________________________________________

(we do not list or exchange this information)

Enclosed is ____________ as a contribution to TAFF. Please make checks, etc., payable to "Dan Steffan" or "Martin Tudor", 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:

________________________________________________________

1997 TAFF BALLOT North America to Europe

Victor Gonzalez Highly placed secret masters declined to confirm that, if elected, first-time pond-hopper Victor Gonzalez would soak in the cold bathrooms, greasy curries and dangerous old women of the United Kingdom, bask in the deliciously Seattle-like weather, and grovel at the feet of D. West. After 44 issues of Apparatchik and hundreds of newspaper stories about chipper/shredder mishaps, Victor longs to see the land of Peter Sutcliffe, Stuart Sutcliffe and Greg Pickersgill, and promises to write a trip report in the form of a muck-raking investigative story.
Nominators: Steve Green, Arnie Katz, Christina Lake, Robert Lichtman, Ted White.

Ulrika O'Brien Everywhere I've gone in fandom, people drew me there. Each time, I re-learnt that when print friends meet, friendship deepens and we give each other better charity of understanding when we meet again in print. In my oddball walkabout of print and online fandom I've met a host of folks, challenging and intriguing, hailing from the UK and Europe. I'd like to meet them, the better to be friends. I'd like to swap scurrilous yarns over a pint, find out about this "real ale" business, prove I don't bite, test my invulnerability to the opacity of British dialects. Oh, and write a scandalous trip report. Nominators: Avedon Carol & Rob Hansen, Andy Hooper, Dave Langford, Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Geri Sullivan.

Vicki Rosenzweig Tea, cider, and lots of good conversation. What's the catch? Right--well, I think I'd be a good TAFF administrator. I've been OE of A Women's APA for several years, and when I took my dream vacation, to Hong Kong, I published a trip report within three months. I've been sending my zine, Quipu, all over the world, and British fans have sent me lots of great letters and zines in return. Now it's time to visit, attend a British convention (Intersection doesn't quite count), and have the sort of conversation that only happens at two in the morning. Nominators: Vijay Bowen, John Dallman, Lucy Huntzinger, Luke McGuff, Alison Scott.

Tom Sadler Most people wouldn't suspect it to look at me, but I am a devout fanzine fan who believes fanzines are the true core of Fandom. I even publish my own fanzine, The Reluctant Famulus, which some people seem to like. I have never been outside the United States before (unless a brief trip to Canada counts), so I figure it's time I broadened my horizons. Additionally, I have made the acquaintance of Several British fans who I'd really like to meet in person. If I win the TAFF voting, I promise I won't embarrass either country too much. Nominators: Buck Coulson, Mike Glicksohn, Terry Jeeves, George 'Lan' Laskowski, Derek Pickles.

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.):

[ ]	Victor Gonzalez		[ ] 	Ulrika O'Brien			
[ ]	Vicki Rosenzweig	[ ] 	Tom Sadler		 		
[ ]	Hold Over Funds		[ ] 	No Preference

Send ballot & donation to:

Dan Steffan, 3804 S. 9th Street, Arlington, VA 22204, USA.

Martin Tudor, 24 Ravensbourne Grove, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 1HX, England.

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:

________________________________________________________