It has been depicted as a separate being, like an astral projection, who embodies Clarke's dizzier characteristics in extreme form. A noticeable characteristic of the typical fan is the high esteem he has for himself. No true fan but will freely admit that he's a genius. There is some foundation for this estimate of fan intelligence, but in youths aged around twenty, it frequently takes a Byronic turn. J Chapman Miske is the classic example of an egoist.
Ballots are ordinarily anonymous, so sent only to qualified voters.
A ballot counter to whom to send the marked ballot is usually named thereon. Candidates are grouped by office, under each office in the order in which they filed their candidacies, with space left in each case for writing in anyone else's name whom the voter may wish to vote for. Parties are sometimes formed in an effort to gain election by trading support but fans are pretty independent in voting for the person they want. By permission, the ISA modified and used this. The emblem of the FAPA is typical in that it symbolizes s-f rather than fandom or fanzines.