Citizens Election Research Center
The Daily Signal – Article: ‘Zuckerbucks’ Hit Small Towns as Tech Group Finances More Election Offices

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Article: ‘Zuckerbucks’ tech group financing election offices in rural counties

The Center for Tech and Civic Life—which four years ago doled out controversial election grants that became known as “Zuckerbucks”—recently notified White Pine County, Nevada, of a $20,000 grant. 

The county, in a major battleground state going into the Nov. 5 presidential election, has a population of about 9,000 and is part of what the Left-aligned center calls its Rural and Nonmetro Election Infrastructure Grant Program. 

The notification to White Pine County came with a message from Tiana Epps-Johnson, CTCL’s executive director, and an agreement on how the $20,000 grant could be used. 

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Wisconsin – Town Hall – Article: Republicans Score Major Win for Election Integrity

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Article: WI voter have made it clear that they do not want “Zuckerbucks” or dark-money interests influencing their local elections.

Wisconsin voters approved two constitutional amendments on Tuesday that the RNC says “will enshrine the principles of election integrity into the lawbooks.”  

Fifty-four percent of voters approved Question 1 banning the state from accepting private funds or equipment for election administration, commonly referred to as “Zuckerbucks.” According to the RNC, this ensures that “outsiders can’t manipulate the will of hardworking Wisconsin families when they cast their ballots.” Question 2 passed with 58.58 percent of the vote and mandates that only designated election officials can administer elections.

“Wisconsin voters have made it clear that they do not want Zuckerbucks or dark-money interests influencing their local elections,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement. “The RNC and RPW were proud to help drive this crucial victory and ensure strong poll-watching coverage across Wisconsin to ensure a transparent voting process. This win emphasizes that Americans support basic election integrity safeguards in battleground states like Wisconsin and around the country.” 

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Newsmax – Article: After Wisconsin Vote, RNC Likely to Launch War on ‘Zuckerbucks’

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Article: Wisconsin voters resoundingly elected to ban out-of-state election interference

Wisconsin voters resoundingly elected to ban out-of-state election interference with vote counting Tuesday.

Barely 24 hours later, Newsmax learned that members of the Republican National Committee were discussing launching a movement nationwide to eradicate the influence of outside money in election administration such as that deployed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in 2020.

With nearly all votes counted, 54% of Badger State voters supported Question 1 to ban all private funding of elections. An even larger number of voters (58%) voted to enact Question 2 to restrict the administration of elections “to only election officials designated by law.”

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Wisconsin – Illinois Review – Article: Zuckerbucks’ No More: How Wisconsin Voters Took Back Their Elections

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Article: WI voters draw a clear line in the sand against the intrusion of private funds in the electoral process

In a resolute move that underscores the spirit of American democracy, voters in Wisconsin have emphatically endorsed two constitutional amendments that draw a clear line in the sand against the intrusion of private funds in the electoral process. This decision marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle to preserve the sanctity of the vote, an issue that has sparked widespread concern over the influence of billionaire donors like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, colloquially dubbed “Zuckerbucks,” on the integrity of elections.

The approval of these amendments is not merely a local affair but a resounding message to the nation: Wisconsin insists that its elections are for its voters, not for the highest bidder or out-of-state billionaires looking to tip the scales. This development is a testament to the foresight and diligence of Republican lawmakers who, recognizing the potential for abuse and manipulation, sought to enshrine these protections within the bedrock of the state constitution.

At the heart of this landmark decision is a fundamental question about the role of money in our electoral system and the potential for it to undermine the democratic process. Critics of private election funding, including prominent figures from conservative think tanks such as the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, argue that the infusion of vast sums of money by entities like the Center for Tech and Civic Life, under the guise of voter access and education, disproportionately benefits Democratic strongholds, thereby skewing the electoral landscape.

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Missouri and Arizona – AlterNet: Article ‘Zuckerbucks’: 2020 Election Conspiracy Theories Return

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Article: While the Left continues to deny partisanship involvement with “Zuckerbucks,” CTCL now has a new program, the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence.

It turns out that right-wing activists have learned the same lesson as Hollywood: Everyone loves a sequel.

You may remember the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life from the so-called “Zuckerbucks” controversy during the 2020 election. That was when a couple of nonprofits including the Center for Tech and Civic Life distributed hundreds of millions of dollars that had been donated by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, as no-strings-attached grants to local election officials. Despite no evidence of partisanship (and lots of people checked), right-wing activists and critics labeled the funding a political act aimed at boosting turnout of Democratic voters.

CTCL now has a new program, the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence. It’s a group of 15 counties, all of whom submitted applications, who work together to share best practices and create things such as a voluntary set of standards for recruitment, training, management, and retention of poll workers, a major concern for election officials around the country.

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