NE Ohio Times

The Ashtabula Board of Elections is explored possible grant money from the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) to offset additional costs in running an election to safeguard the public from COVID-19 at polling places.

"I am aware that they are offering grant money and thus it is in our best financial interest to explore accordingly," John Mead, deputy director of Ashtabula County Board of Elections, told NE Ohio Times.

The Wisconsin Voters Alliance accused CTCL of sending millions of dollars in heavily Democratic areas to boost voter turnout and sway the election statewide in a complaint filed with the Wisconsin Election Commission, PR Newswire reported. CTCL awarded millions of dollars in grants to Wisconsin's five most populated cities, which data shows have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats.

"We've seen government playing favorites in elections before," Phill Kline, director of the Amistad Project of the Thomas More Society, representing the Wisconsin Voters Alliance, told PR Newswire. "Through much of last century, southern states made it difficult for blacks to vote and easy for white citizens to vote, promoting racism in the manner that they orchestrated their elections. Government targeting a demographic to increase turnout is the opposite side of the same coin as targeting a demographic to suppress the vote."

Mead said he had not been approached by any nonprofit to help facilitate elections or improve balloting procedures, specifically mail-in balloting.

CTCL's primary funding sources include Google and Facebook. A $250 million contribution came from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife.

Mead said he was aware of the Zuckerberg's donation.

CTCL gave the cities of Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, and Racine a total of $6.3 million directly, instead of to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which manages elections throughout the state. Almost 40% of the funds went to early voting and vote-by-mail efforts, PR Newswire reported.

Philadelphia received $10 million in CTCL funds. The five Wisconsin cities and one Pennsylvania city had cast more than 82% of their 1 million-plus votes for Hillary Clinton in 2016. President Trump won both states by narrow margins that year.

Asked if he'd check if CTCL distributed money equitably or just to Democratic strongholds, Mead said, "Probably not. Unless the press covers it."

Mead was not prepared to deal with a hypothetical situation before he learns if CTCL favors Democratic governmental bodies.

"I would have to seek guidance from our legal counsel depending on a scenario that has not happened," Mead said.

The Wisconsin Voters Alliance thinks the issue already exists. Their complaint alleges the use of CTCL funds by the cities "violates Wisconsin law prohibiting the provision of monies to election officials to induce persons to vote or influence an election outcome," PR Newswire reported.

But Mead had one concern for Ashtabula County in investigating the chance of getting a similar grant: "Assist in absorbing the financial burden associated with COVID-19 best practices compliance," he told NE Ohio Times.