DUFF Ballot 2017 — North America to Australasia

The deadline for voting is 10 March 2017 at 23:59 PST (Pacific Standard Time).

About DUFF: Since 1972 the Down Under Fan Fund, a fan-supported fellowship, has encouraged closer ties between Australasian and North American Science Fiction fans through the alternating exchange of representatives. DUFF delegates will time their travels to allow them to attend the World Science Fiction Convention or the national convention in the destination country and visit fans they would not have a chance to meet otherwise. The newly elected delegate will be responsible for raising funds, establishing a bank account (if necessary), keeping a record of the funds accumulated, and administering DUFF until a new delegate is elected from their continent. The new delegate is also encouraged to publish a trip report, copies of which can be sold to add to the fund.

Voting: DUFF uses the optional preferential balloting system to insure an automatic runoff and a majority of votes for one candidate. The voter ranks the candidates and other options in order of preference. If there is no majority for one of the candidates after the first count of votes, the first place votes for the lowest ranked candidate will be dropped, and the second place votes on those ballots will be assigned to the candidates so named. This goes on until one candidate has a majority of votes. When more than two candidates are running, it is important (but not required) to vote for your second, third, etc. choices especially if you choose to write in a candidate.

Ballots: Paper ballots must be signed by the voter and accompanied by a minimum contribution of $5 in US, Australian, Canadian, or New Zealand currency, or an equivalent sum in other currencies. Any contributions in excess of the minimum voting fee will be gratefully accepted. The voting period will end on 10 March 2017. On-line votes may be cast using this form, or by sending an email to an administrator with your voting preferences, or by adding a note when using PayPal. If voting by email or Paypal, please list your choices, for example "1. Candidate’s name, 2. No Preference, 3. Holdover Funds."

Eligibility to vote: Anyone may vote who has been active in fandom on or before January 1, 2017. “Active in fandom” is defined as being involved in fannish pursuits such as fanzine writing or reading, convention running or attending, amateur film, video or podcast production and/or club participation. Only natural persons may vote and may vote only once.

A PDF version of this ballot is available here.

Candidate: Each candidate has three nominating fans from North America and two from Australia or New Zealand. A written platform of 100 words or less has been provided by each candidate and a promise (barring Acts of Ghod) that they will attend Continuum, the 56th Australian National Science Fiction Convention, to be held in Melbourne, Australia, June 9-12, 2017, and to serve as administrator of the fund until the next North American delegate is elected. A candidate entry fee of USD 5.00 was collected and added to the fund.

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CANDIDATE PLATFORM

Paul Weimer

I’m a podcaster for the Skiffy and Fanty podcast, the SFF audio podcast, a noted SF/F book reviewer and a regular panelist at local cons. I am also an amateur photographer. I have only been to one international con, the Worldcon in London in 2014, and would love to broaden my international fandom connections. If I have the honor of being selected, I aim to build the links I already have with Australian fandom (in things like being a prior participant in The Australian SF Snapshot) into face to face interviews, meetings, and more with fans and genre folk at Continuum and elsewhere in Australia. Have camera and recorder and ready to travel!

Nominators: North America: Mike Glyer, Arref Mak, and Jen Zink. Australasia: Gillian Polack and Alexandra Pierce.

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VOTING

THE DEADLINE FOR VOTING is 10 March 2017 at 23:59 PST (Pacific Standard Time)

You may vote in any one of these ways:

  • Print the official ballot (PDF), fill it in by hand, and send it to one of the administrators. Their addresses are on the PDF ballot.
  • Use the form below to vote online.
  • Send an email to an administrator listing your voting choices.
  • Use the “Add a note” field on PayPal to include your vote when sending your contribution.

CONTRIBUTIONS

Votes are not valid unless accompanied by a contribution of at least $5 in US, Australian, Canadian, or New Zealand currency, or an equivalent sum in other currencies.

You may contribute by using Paypal (choose the option to send money to friends and family) or by check/cheque, to Lucy Huntzinger in North America or Clare McDonald-Sims in Australia (make Australian cheques out to DUFF, please); see PDF ballot for mailing addresses.

Administrators

AUSTRALASIA: Clare McDonald-Sims, clare1701@warpmail.net
NORTH AMERICA: Lucy Huntzinger (acting NA admin) huntzinger@gmail.com

Voting Form

Note: This form is sent to an email address at the Ozfanfunds website, from where it is automatically forwarded to the DUFF administrators.

Your name*:  
Address:  
 
City:  
State/Province:  
Zip/Postal Code:  
Country*:  
Phone number:  
E-Mail*:  
 * Required  
 
If you think your name may not be known to the administrators, then for your vote to be counted please give in the space below the name and contact details of an active fan (not a fan group, a candidate, or one of their nominators) to whom you are known and who is known to an administrator.
 
Reference Name:  
Reference Email or Address:  
 
Please indicate your voting preference below. Use only the numbers 1 to 4 (1=first choice); do not repeat any numbers. You do not need to number every choice. Then click the small “Vote” button below the boxes.
 
  Paul Weimer
  Hold over funds
  No Preference
  Write-in:
 

 

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This ballot was authorized by Lucy Huntzinger and Clare McDonald-Sims and prepared by Jean Weber.