Unlikely But Statistically Possible

Statistically Possible

In any Ballot, there is a quantity of Meredith Keys that remain unused or only partially used, sometimes because a Ballot winner may also have friends that scored, or because less than the designated number of tickets are purchased with a code. In the unlikely event that all – or nearly all – the Meredith Keys are used to purchase the maximum tickets, allocated tickets for that Ballot round may be exhausted before the advertised close time.

For this reason, we always note the following in a Ballot winner’s email:

Please be aware of the unlikely but statistically possible occurrence in which the allocation of tickets for the Ballot is exhausted before the Ballot’s scheduled close. This has only happened once before and it remains unlikely. But as it is a possibility a fair plan must be in place.

The Plan

If such an occurrence appears likely, our practice will be to notify all Ballot winners who have not yet used their code that sales for that round of the Ballot continue on a first-in first-served basis – available only to those Ballot winners with a valid Meredith Key – until the allocation is exhausted (tickets run out), which will likely be before the scheduled Ballot close.

All Ballot tickets are available either until the scheduled close as usual or until the allocation is exhausted – whichever is the sooner.

This would mean some people with a valid Meredith Key may miss out. All tickets already purchased in the Ballot will remain secure. Further allocations of tickets will then happen as usual – Ballot Second Round, Online Sales and Aunty’s Last Chance – though the majority of tickets are sold in Round One of the Ballot.

This has only been required once before (First Round of The 30th Meredith Ballot), so it remains highly unlikely. As it is a statistical possibility, a fair plan must be in place that you need to be aware of.