Chicago’s uncontested bid to host the 2012 Worldcon reportedly polled 447 votes out of 526 cast by members of Aussiecon 4. Another 20 ballots expressed no preference, while the remaining 59 were scattered among write-ins that will be identified later in an official report.

The figures were released in advance of the Sunday Business Meeting at which the site selection result will be officially announced and the Chicago committee will announce its guests of honor.

Around that time PR#0 will be distributed, the 2012 Worldcon’s website will go live, and Aussiecon 4 will put out a press release to the media.

This site selection vote total, 526, is the smallest for any year since 1974 (the earliest listed by Smofinfo). It’s only a shade less than the number of votes cast in 1975 at Aussiecon 1 (528) and in 1985 at Aussiecon 2 (527), but hundreds fewer than were cast in 1999 at Aussiecon 3 (820) so this isn’t something people were expecting simply because the vote was being held Down Under.

The 2012 committee be starting with substantially less funds than most Worldcons do. Something that will help is the pass-along funds they’ll receive from the 2009 Worldcon. The last public figure I saw indicated three future Worldcons (2010-2012) would get $22,500 from Anticipation’s surplus.

Meantime, Secret Masters of Fandom looking for their fanpolitical fix should read Kevin Standlee’s summary of the Main Business Meeting.

Standlee has also announced there is a low-res video recording of the Preliminary Business Meeting available for viewing.

You can also keep up with what is happening through the convention’s onsite newsletter, Voice of the Echidna.

The newsletter reports that attendance at close of business Friday consisted of “1582 preregistered members on site, as well as 52 walk-in full members. On Friday, there were 67 Friday day members.” I guess this means 1701. Which is a very enterprising number.