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Central Montana Times

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Electoral Interference: Democrats in Pondera see 3% change in votes after private funding given to voting officials

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In Pondera, where voting officials received funding from a Mark Zuckerberg-related organization, Democrat turnout increased 22.4% from 2016 to 2020, while Republican turnout increased by 12.9%.

In 2020, Joe Biden secured 30% of 2,995 votes, compared to the 27% votes earned by Hillary Clinton in 2016. Grants to voting officials, funded almost entirely by Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, weren’t offered in 2016.

In Montana, Democrat turnout rose 38.4% in areas which received the funding, while increasing 35.4% in areas which did not.

The Republican Party earned 23.1% more votes in Montana districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 22.9% in jurisdictions without similar funding.

Support for Trump increased in Pondera 0% in 2020.

There were 323 more votes cast in Pondera in the 2020 election than in 2016.

Pondera was one of 28 Montana areas where voting officials received money from the progressive Centre for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL). A $350 million donation from Facebook founder Zuckerberg and his wife provided funding for the grants.

Grants from the organization, ranging from $5,000 to $19 million, were given to voting officials in exchange for specific conditions being followed. This included strategically targeting voters, creating ballots and developing what are known as “cure letters” to correct ballots at risk of being thrown out for discrepancies in signatures.

The influx of private money on such a large scale was criticized throughout the contentious 2020 election.

The CTCL was sued by Louisiana’s Attorney General in October 2021 “to prevent the injection of unregulated private money...and protect the integrity of elections in the State.” The lawsuit wasn’t allowed to proceed by a State judge.

Criticism of the CTCL also stemmed from favoring “predominantly Democratic counties” and even gave them a headstart to apply for funding, according to emails obtained through Right-to-Know requests.

“Mark Zuckerberg is providing nearly as much money to this year’s election administration as the federal government,” Phil Kline with the Amistad Project said in a late October 2020 press release.

The US government, in the run-up to the 2020 election, was criticized for underfunding the electoral process at a critical time.

Voting differences in some Montana locations in 2020 election
AreaReceived CTCL Funding?% Change in Republican Support% Change in Democratic Support
BlaineYes2.24.2
CascadeYes0.42.7
CusterYes0.52.9
DanielsYes1.91.5
Deer LodgeYes1.72.2
GallatinYes1.15.6
GlacierYes0.81.1
HillYes0.23.8
LakeYes2.64.4
Lewis and ClarkYes0.33.6
LibertyYes2.41.3
MadisonYes1.73.8
MissoulaYes2.15.5
ParkYes2.86
PhillipsYes0.82.6
PonderaYes0.52.5
PowellYes0.13.6
PrairieYes02.4
RavalliYes0.22.5
SheridanYes0.51.9
StillwaterYes21.4
Sweet GrassYes1.73.1
TetonYes1.81.6
TooleYes0.31.9
ValleyYes2.91
WheatlandYes1.11.7
WibauxYes0.12.6
YellowstoneYes0.13.7
Beaverhead CountyNo0.24.8
Big Horn CountyNo2.32.5
Broadwater CountyNo2.52.1
Carbon CountyNo0.53.7
Carter CountyNo2.70.4
Chouteau CountyNo1.15.1
Dawson CountyNo1.21.8
Fallon CountyNo1.10.5
Fergus CountyNo1.72.4
Flathead CountyNo1.15.2
Garfield CountyNo2.80.3
Golden Valley CountyNo4.80.4
Granite CountyNo0.43.8
Jefferson CountyNo2.92.2
Judith Basin CountyNo4.80.9
Lincoln CountyNo1.32.1
McCone CountyNo3.40.8
Meagher CountyNo0.33.4
Mineral CountyNo4.90.9
Musselshell CountyNo2.70.6
Petroleum CountyNo0.71.9
Powder River CountyNo1.31.5
Richland CountyNo2.21.2
Roosevelt CountyNo0.44.8
Rosebud CountyNo0.43.1
Sanders CountyNo1.73.3
Silver Bow CountyNo2.73.3
Treasure CountyNo1.93.6

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