JASON SNEAD: The Left’s New Scheme That Threatens Free Elections

Like a bad movie sequel, leftwing nonprofits like the Center for Tech and Civil Life (CTCL) are once again pumping millions of dollars in left-wing “dark money” into election offices across the country. Just like they did in 2020, these groups are looking for ways to skew elections and boost liberal turnout in battleground states.

But this time, there’s a twist. CTCL and its allies aren’t just doling out eye-popping grants. They are aiming for nothing less than a shadow takeover of election offices. Through their new $80 million program, called the “U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence,” the left is targeting local election offices. The goal: push liberal voting policies and systematically reshape how our elections are run.

Voters need only to look to the contentious 2020 election cycle to appreciate the significance of this program. That year, Mark Zuckerberg pledged more than $400 million to support election offices during the pandemic. But he didn’t give the money to election offices directly. Instead, he gave the funds to left-wing nonprofits like CTCL.

CTCL then directed these “Zuck Bucks” disproportionately to cities and counties that voted Democratic. The aim was to boost turnout in blue areas. Just look at the impact in Georgia, which got $31 million in “Zuck Buck” grants, or nine percent of all Zuckerberg funding awarded nationwide. Between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, Georgia counties that were funded by “Zuck Bucks” became, on average, 2.3 percentage points more Democratic.

Elections should be run freely, and be accountable to voters. That’s why, since 2020, nearly half the states have passed legislation outlawing the corrupting influence of private funding.

But in states like Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, Democratic governors have vetoed commonsense “Zuck Buck” bans. It is no surprise that the Alliance for Election Excellence has recruited target offices in all three states, and is pouring in millions in left-wing “dark money.”

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