LoneStarCon 3 announced this year’s Hugo Awards nominees on March 30 but has yet to open the voting. Is 30 days and counting a long delay or not? How does this performance compare with other recent Worldcons?

The answer: It does not compare very well.

Last year, Chicon 7 announced it was ready to take votes 2 days after the nominees came out – meaning paper ballots. Online voting opened 11 days after, according to publicity.

Renovation (2011) said paper and online voting was open in a press release issued 5 days after the nominee announcement.

Aussiecon 4 (2010) reported voting open 30 days after the nominee announcement.

Anticipation (2009) wasn’t taking votes until the 60th day after.

Denvention 3 (2008) is a little harder to pinpoint because the information came in a progress report the month after the nominees were announced. The interim could have been as short as 9 days and as long as 39, and the true figure presumably lies somewhere in between.

Conclusion: The past two Worldcons got voting opened pretty quickly, and at 30 days LoneStarCon 3 is falling behind the curve.

(*) In these years the packet was created by John Scalzi.

Sources for the dates are listed after the jump.

Chicago HVP available (5/18/2012)
https://file770.com/?p=8993

Chicon 7 voting available – 4/18/2012
http://www.thehugoawards.org/2012/04/online-paper-hugo-ballots-issued/

or 4/9

http://www.thehugoawards.org/2012/04/2012-hugo-voting-process-underway/

Chicon 7 noms announced (4/7/2012)
http://www.thehugoawards.org/2012/04/2012-hugo-award-nominations-announced/

Renovation HVP released (5/20/2011)
http://www.thehugoawards.org/2011/05/hugo-voter-packet-released/

Renovation voting available (4/29/2011 – PR#4)
http://www.renovationsf.org/pressrel31.php

Renovation nominees announced (4/24/2011)
https://file770.com/?p=5783

A4 HVP available (5/4/2010)
http://www.thehugoawards.org/2010/05/2010-voter-packet-available/

A4 voting available
PR#3 June 2010

A4 nominees announced (4/4/2010)
http://www.thehugoawards.org/2010/04/2010-hugo-award-nominees-details/

Anticipation HVP available (4/22/2009)
http://www.thehugoawards.org/2009/04/free-e-books-for-hugo-voters/

Anticipation voting available (5/19/2009)
http://www.thehugoawards.org/2009/05/hugo-award-voting-opens/

Anticipation nominees announced (3/19/2009)
http://www.thehugoawards.org/2009/03/2009-hugo-award-nominations/

D3 HVP available (4/10/2008)
http://www.thehugoawards.org/2008/04/free-hugo-nominated-ebooks/

D3 Voting Opens
PR#3 distributed ballot April 2008

D3 Hugo noms announced (3/21/2008)
http://www.thehugoawards.org/2008/03/2008-hugo-award-nominees/