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Maine Highlands News

Monday, December 23, 2024

Republicans in Eddington see biggest gain in 2020 election after grants from Mark Zuckerberg given to voting officials

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In Eddington, where voting officials received funding from a Mark Zuckerberg-related organization, Democrat turnout increased 13.3% from 2016 to 2020, while Republican turnout increased by 15.2%.

In 2020, Joe Biden secured 34% of 1,444 votes, compared to the 33% 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 Maine, Democrat turnout rose 19.3% in areas which received the funding, while unchanged in areas which did not.

The Republican Party earned 6.7% more votes in Maine districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 100% in jurisdictions without similar funding.

Support for Trump increased in Eddington 3% in 2020.

There were 130 more votes cast in Eddington in the 2020 election than in 2016.

Eddington was one of 208 Maine 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 Maine locations in 2020 election
AreaReceived CTCL Funding?% Change in Republican Support% Change in Democratic Support
AlbionYes1.92.3
AlfredYes1.44.5
AlnaYes-4.55.3
AltonYes2.72.5
AmherstYes1.80.2
AndoverYes0.74.1
AnsonYes30.8
AshlandYes3.22.8
AuburnYes2.36.8
AugustaYes0.54
BangorYes1.95.1
BathYes-4.27.7
BelfastYes2.76
BelgradeYes0.63.5
BentonYes4.31
BerwickYes2.96.1
BiddefordYes-4.57.7
BinghamYes1.60
Blue HillYes0.44.3
Boothbay HarborYes1.24.2
BoothbayYes36.9
BowdoinhamYes2.86.3
BradfordYes3.30.8
BradleyYes3.10.6
BrewerYes-2.15.6
BristolYes4.87.8
BrooksvilleYes1.40.4
BrownfieldYes3.77.9
BrownvilleYes3.10.2
BrunswickYes2.65.7
BuckfieldYes0.54.7
BucksportYes0.64.1
BurlingtonYes1.64.7
BuxtonYes2.95.7
CanaanYes5.80.2
CaribouYes2.81.8
CarmelYes1.42.2
CascoYes2.75.4
CastineYes-8.312.7
CharlestonYes0.71.7
ChelseaYes0.23.1
ChestervilleYes5.30.8
ChinaYes1.55
CliftonYes2.31.1
Columbia FallsYes5.27.1
CornishYes1.64.5
CrystalYes3.71.3
CushingYes2.40.4
DamariscottaYes3.47.8
DaytonYes0.23.7
DedhamYes1.24.3
Deer IsleYes0.63.5
DenmarkYes6.19.1
DennysvilleYes1.49.1
DexterYes3.21
DixfieldYes85.3
Dover-FoxcroftYes2.80.8
DresdenYes0.23.4
DurhamYes2.46
East MillinocketYes5.2-2.2
EddingtonYes2.91
EliotYes2.86.3
EllsworthYes1.14.4
EnfieldYes60.1
EustisYes1.84.9
FairfieldYes0.73.7
FarmingdaleYes1.95.3
FarmingtonYes0.24.7
FayetteYes1.81.6
Fort FairfieldYes3.60.7
Fort KentYes30.4
FreeportYes3.36.5
FrenchvilleYes8-5
FryeburgYes2.28.3
GeorgetownYes4.16.6
GorhamYes2.86
GrayYes3.16.7
GreeneYes2.12.6
GuilfordYes3.40.5
HallowellYes1.11.9
HampdenYes2.15.8
HancockYes0.64.8
HarpswellYes2.65.3
HarrisonYes2.77.4
HermonYes1.44.7
HiramYes18.934.7
HollisYes0.33.6
HopeYes1.85.2
HoultonYes0.93
HowlandYes2.9-2.7
IndustryYes0.65.2
Island FallsYes4.62
IslesboroYes0.62.9
JayYes4.10.1
KenduskeagYes1.83
KennebunkYes3.87.2
KennebunkportYes4.57.9
KitteryYes3.36.3
LamoineYes0.95.8
LebanonYes1.34.5
LeeYes-0.90.9
LeedsYes04
LevantYes20.9
LewistonYes-2.36.2
LimingtonYes02.9
LincolnYes2.96.7
LisbonYes36.5
LitchfieldYes0.33.8
Livermore FallsYes6.7-0.1
LivermoreYes0.13.5
Long IslandYes3.15.1
LowellYes6.1-5.5
LymanYes0.23.2
MadawaskaYes4.9-1.1
MadisonYes1.61.9
Mars HillYes-0.84
Mechanic FallsYes14.4
MedwayYes2.50.9
MercerYes3.31
MillinocketYes1.62
MinotYes1.25.3
MonmouthYes0.34.9
MontvilleYes-4.86.3
New GloucesterYes2.95.8
New SharonYes0.76.2
New SwedenYes-3.5-1.4
NewburghYes11.2
NewcastleYes1.53.6
NewfieldYes0.13.7
NobleboroYes3.76.6
NorridgewockYes2.40.7
North BerwickYes1.44.9
North YarmouthYes1.64.7
NorwayYes3.67.9
OaklandYes14.3
Old Orchard BeachYes1.64.6
OronoYes-4.17.6
OrringtonYes1.45.3
Owls HeadYes1.83.7
OxfordYes3.22.2
PittsfieldYes0.14.6
PittstonYes1.13.7
PolandYes0.93.7
PorterYes0.93.3
PortlandYes-2.74.8
Presque IsleYes3.51.5
ProspectYes1.31
RandolphYes31.6
RangeleyYes5.6-39.6
RaymondYes3.34.8
ReadfieldYes1.63.4
RocklandYes0.94
RomeYes3.60.3
SabattusYes0.74.4
SacoYes2.96
SanfordYes0.7-43.6
ScarboroughYes4.97.8
SearsmontYes3.60.5
SedgwickYes1.75.7
ShapleighYes0.24.2
ShermanYes0.6-21.1
SidneyYes1.4-35.4
SkowheganYes1.22.5
SmithfieldYes1.42.2
SolonYes3.61.5
SomervilleYes0.16.2
South PortlandYes-3.96.2
South ThomastonYes3.26.9
SouthportYes-7.89.9
St. GeorgeYes1.93.6
StacyvilleYes1.30.6
StandishYes36.5
StarksYes5.5-36.9
SteubenYes0.84
StockholmYes12.48.7
Stockton SpringsYes0.83.9
StoningtonYes1.84.8
SumnerYes1.71.7
ThomastonYes-0-2.9
TopshamYes3.37.2
TurnerYes1.64.5
UnionYes0.12.6
Van BurenYes4.1-1.5
VassalboroYes1.24.4
VeazieYes12.3
WadeYes-3.49.8
WaldoboroYes1.12
WalesYes0.94.9
WarrenYes0.74.2
WashburnYes4.6-0.7
WashingtonYes2.25.9
WatervilleYes0.94.8
West BathYes24.9
West ParisYes1.73.9
WestbrookYes5.18.7
Westport IslandYes2.46.3
WhitefieldYes0.92.5
WiltonYes0.93.7
WindhamYes3.46.7
WindsorYes1.32.6
WinslowYes0.73.5
Winterville plantationYes-3.3-0.3
WiscassetYes-5.98.2
WoodlandYes2.61.2
WoodstockYes2.12.1
WoolwichYes1.66.1
YarmouthYes-4.87.9

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