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U.S. NEWS Monday 12 deceMber 2022

Election nonprofit that drew GOP ire in 2020 renews grants

Continued from Front very careful about what
sort of agreements they
Opponents termed the enter into with special inter-
grants “Zuckerbucks” and ests.”
claimed they were an at- Two recipients stand out:
tempt by the billionaire deeply Republican Shas-
to tip the vote in favor of ta County in the rural, far
Democrats, although there northern part of California
was no evidence to sup- and Democratic-leaning
port that. Clark County in Nevada.
Much of the earlier money Both have been on the
went to election offices front lines of election con-
in urban areas that have spiracies.
traditionally supported Clark County, home to
Democrats, but the center nearly three-quarters of
pointed out that it gave registered voters in the
funding to every office that presidential battleground
requested it – nearly 2,500 state, has been the target
in all. The center previously of false claims that the 2020
said the current round of presidential election was
grant funding will not in- rigged to favor Democrats.
clude money from Zucker- County spokesperson Dan
berg. Kulin said the county’s han-
The center did not initially People cast their ballots at Coit Arts Academy in Grand Rapids on Nov. 8, 2022. dling of mail ballots likely
disclose the amounts each Associated Press contributed to its selection.
jurisdiction would be eligi- It’s the only jurisdiction in
ble to receive, but it post- the alliance with enough
ed a range of figures two fund offices in any of the In Wisconsin, a peren- gage with and turn out cer- registered voters to be eli-
weeks after the initial an- more than 20 states where nial political battleground tain voters.” gible for up to $3 million in
nouncement in response to Republicans enacted laws where former President The center and participat- grants.
questions from The Associ- since 2020 that ban private Donald Trump has sought ing election officials have Several Republican groups
ated Press. funding for elections, but to decertify the results of stressed that the alliance’s in the state did not respond
Grant amounts will vary it will go to offices in some the 2020 presidential elec- work is nonpartisan, but the to phone calls and emails.
based on the size of each states where Democratic tion, Republican lawmakers lack of publicly available Shasta County has been
jurisdiction, from $50,000 governors vetoed bans tried to work around Demo- details about how they se- roiled by far-right politics
for those with fewer than passed by Republican- cratic Gov. Tony Evers’ veto lected the offices and how since the 2020 presidential
5,000 registered voters to controlled legislatures. That power this spring by pro- the money will be used has election. Election work-
$3 million for those with includes Michigan, North posing an amendment to fed conservatives’ con- ers have been followed
more than 1 million voters. Carolina and Wisconsin. the state constitution that cerns. while delivering ballots and
The first offices will receive Dublois said he was skepti- would ban private funding “Our citizens should have monitored by trail cameras
grants over a two-year pe- cal of the list of jurisdictions for elections. The proposal peace of mind that the outside their office, The Los
riod leading up to the 2024 the center chose to sup- passed the Legislature but outcomes of elections are Angeles Times reported.
presidential election, said port. The center declined would need a second con- not affected by the flow of County Clerk Cathy Darling
Tiana Epps-Johnson, the to provide specific details secutive approval in 2023 private money into elec- Allen said she has feared
center’s executive director. about how it selected before it could be put to a tion administration,” said for the safety of her staff.
The money comes with al- members of the alliance. statewide vote. Assembly Speaker Pro Tem The Shasta County elec-
most no restrictions on how “It seems most of the tar- Madison Deputy Clerk Jim Tyler August, Vos’ second in tions office received
it can be spent. Election of- gets for the alliance are Verbick said he saw join- command who sponsored $95,000 from the center in
ficials said they hope to use geared towards blue ing the alliance as a way to the proposed amendment 2020 and now is eligible for
the grants for everything states, with some Demo- stay current on how other to ban election grants. $1.5 million.
from improving websites to cratic strongholds in swing election officials are oper- In Michigan, more than 460 “The doubts about election
recruiting poll workers and states included, as well,” he ating. He said his office will election offices accepted administration that have
building larger, more se- said, voicing concerns that consider accepting grants grants from the center in been sown on social me-
cure office spaces. increased funding could and wasn’t worried about 2020. The state now has dia particularly have been
The center’s hesitancy to boost Democratic turnout. the city’s involvement constitutional protections troubling and difficult to
disclose details about its Five of the selected jurisdic- drawing backlash. for private grants thanks to quash,” Darling Allen told
renewed efforts has drawn tions lean Republican, but “ The issue has gone to the a voting-related ballot ini- the AP.
criticism from the same they make up only a frac- courts, and the courts have tiative voters passed in No- She said she hopes to pres-
conservative groups that tion of the total population repeatedly said there was vember. ent the county’s participa-
opposed its work in 2020. in the more Democratic ju- nothing wrong with the Opponents such as Jamie tion in the alliance early
“It seems like this entire pro- risdictions. grants,” he said. Roe of Secure MI Vote criti- next year to the board of
cess will occur behind the The initial election offices Top Wisconsin Republicans cize what they see as spe- supervisors, where far-right
scenes with no guardrails selected are: Contra Costa said they believe the pro- cial interest groups trying candidates secured four
or transparency, further- and Shasta counties in Cal- gram has partisan aims. to influence elections. The of the five seats in Novem-
ing the concerns of voters ifornia; Greenwich, Con- “This is just liberals telling group pushed unsuccess- ber’s election.
over undue influence on necticut; Kane and Ma- other liberals they are do- fully for private funding to One of the newly elected
the conduct of elections,” coupin counties in Illinois; ing a good job,” said As- be outlawed. supervisors, Kevin Crye, said
said Hayden Dublois, a re- Ottawa County, Michigan; sembly Speaker Robin Vos, “The elected officials and he had concerns about
searcher at the conserva- Clark County, Nevada; the state’s top Republican. the clerks in Michigan need “who and how our elec-
tive Foundation for Govern- Brunswick and Forsyth “Cities like Madison and to know that they’re going toral process can possibly
ment Accountability. counties in North Carolina; Milwaukee continue to try to be held accountable,” be manipulated,” but de-
The center’s grants will not and Madison, Wisconsin. to find ways to only en- Roe said. “They should be clined to elaborate.q