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Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Democrats in San Bernardino see biggest gain in 2020 election after grants from Mark Zuckerberg given to voting officials

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In San Bernardino, where voting officials received funding from a Mark Zuckerberg-related organization, Democrat turnout increased 33.7% from 2016 to 2020, while Republican turnout increased by only 35%.

In 2020, Joe Biden secured 54% of 830,907 votes, compared to the 53% 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 California, Democrat turnout rose 25.8% in areas which received the funding, while increasing 29.7% in areas which did not.

The Republican Party earned 36.9% more votes in California districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 28.8% in jurisdictions without similar funding.

Support for Trump increased in San Bernardino 2% in 2020.

There were 197,784 more votes cast in San Bernardino in the 2020 election than in 2016.

San Bernardino was one of 30 California 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 California locations in 2020 election
AreaReceived CTCL Funding?% Change in Republican Support% Change in Democratic Support
ButteYes1.34.6
Contra CostaYes0.91.6
Del NorteYes0.42.9
GlennYes0.42.5
KernYes02.7
LakeYes0.43
LassenYes1.61.8
Los AngelesYes42.2
MaderaYes0.43
MendocinoYes0.63.1
MercedYes2.10.3
ModocYes0.63
MonoYes3.66
MontereyYes1.41
OrangeYes1.31.5
PlacerYes14.5
SacramentoYes1.41.7
San BenitoYes02.6
San BernardinoYes1.21
San FranciscoYes3.31.7
San JoaquinYes1.71
San Luis ObispoYes0.64.1
San MateoYes1.40.7
Santa ClaraYes4.31.6
Santa CruzYes0.51.9
ShastaYes0.83.8
SolanoYes1.71
SonomaYes02.7
SutterYes2.11.1
YoloYes2.10.9
Alameda CountyNo2.51.5
Alpine CountyNo4.66.5
Amador CountyNo0.62
Calaveras CountyNo0.91.8
Colusa CountyNo2.70.2
El Dorado CountyNo0.34.9
Fresno CountyNo0.31.9
Humboldt CountyNo1.94.3
Imperial CountyNo9.78.4
Inyo CountyNo5.68.5
Kings CountyNo0.51.7
Marin CountyNo0.22.3
Mariposa CountyNo2.23.6
Napa CountyNo0.43.6
Nevada CountyNo3.36.3
Plumas CountyNo03.9
Riverside CountyNo0.22.3
San Diego CountyNo0.12.8
Santa Barbara CountyNo0.12.4
Sierra CountyNo0.53.6
Siskiyou CountyNo0.64.4
Stanislaus CountyNo1.70.6
Tehama CountyNo0.62
Trinity CountyNo1.54.2
Tulare CountyNo0.11.8
Tuolumne CountyNo0.23
Ventura CountyNo0.12.9
Yuba CountyNo0.52.4

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