1. as far as two ballots being needed for households with associate members, no problemo. The household would just photocopy the one ballot that came with/in the magazine. The ballots would have to be signed and membership-numbered, so no cheating problem.

2. there should be a rule/bylaw prohibiting the unethical abuse of members completing more than one ballot or giving away signed-numbered ballots to others to send in. Anway, this kind of abuse is equally easy under either system (only nominators vote [having your spouce send in a token nomination]; or all vote).

3. pictures of the nominated chips could be printed on the magazine covers, so no extra cost or major extra cost is entailed. They could be put onto the internet too.

4. I don't know about the magazine/voting/convention schedule conflicts. Now, for example, we will present the 2003 chip award at the 2004 convention. We'd have more time to arrange casino executive atendees if, for example, we gave the 2003 chip award at the 2005 convention! At the same 2005 convention, we could anounce the winner of the 2004 COTY if we wnted to. Just an idea.

I hope this covers everything.

Robert