Wisconsin voters approved two constitutional amendments that would prohibit private funds known as “Zuckerbucks” from being used to administer elections in key battleground states.
On Tuesday, two state constitutional amendments pushed by Republican lawmakers cleared the threshold for a majority of Wisconsin voters.
The measure would prohibit clerks from accepting private subsidies to help conduct elections and require only election administrators to conduct elections.
“Wisconsin has spoken and the message is clear: The election belongs to the voters, not the out-of-state billionaires,” state Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming said in a statement.
‘End Zuckerbucks’: Republican bill aims to ban Mark Zuckerberg-style campaign finance
Wisconsin’s measure would prohibit clerks from accepting private grants to help conduct elections and would require only election officials to conduct elections. (Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images)
Democrats opposed both measures, saying they would make it more difficult to hold elections. They also expressed concerns about how the broadly written election official regulations would be interpreted and enforced by local election officials, the Associated Press reported.
Both constitutional amendments on the ballot were in response to grants sent to Wisconsin in 2020 by the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a liberal organization that advocates for voter access.
That year, the organization received $300 million from Mr. Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, to help election officials buy supplies and conduct elections in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. received a donation.
‘Zackbucks 2.0’: Report says Zuckerberg-funded group spends millions to influence local election offices
Former President Trump speaks at the Buckeye Values PAC rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
The funding will help jurisdictions deal with the coronavirus pandemic through measures such as paying for ballot drop boxes, voting equipment, additional personnel, protective equipment for poll workers, and public education campaigns about new voting methods. It was delivered with the stated goal of
The state’s five largest cities, all won by President Biden, received $8.8 million. They were one of about 200 communities in Wisconsin to receive about $10 million as part of the $350 million donated nationwide, according to the Associated Press.
Republicans across the country say these funds unfairly support Democrats in elections.
Ken Cuccinelli, National President of the Election Transparency Initiative (ETI) and former Virginia Attorney General, said, “Governor Evers’ politically motivated veto is a sign that voters are determined to ban Zuckerbacks.” I’m glad we took the action we did.”
”After all, one team doesn’t pay its Final Four umpires, so why should one team be allowed to pay its “umpires” in an election? “They raised money through their election offices to increase voter turnout, but they pretended to be unbiased and nonpartisan,” he said.
Wisconsin became the 28th state to restrict the use of private funds in elections, according to data from the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA). These states include battleground states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Arizona.
“In 2020, Wisconsin was Zuckerbucks’ ground zero. But on Tuesday, voters in the Badger State chose to reject the same type of dark financial influence from influencing future elections.” FGA Sam Rogers, director of state government affairs, told FOX News Digital.
”Wisconsin is an important swing state, and building this election protection into our state constitution will allow Wisconsinites to move forward with more trust and confidence in the integrity of their voting process. Masu. ”
“The impact of this change will ripple into November,” Rogers added.
Texas investigates nonprofit supporting Zuckerberg over election concerns
Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan donated $300 million to promote local elections in key battleground states in 2020. (George Fry/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Jason Sneed, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, praised the passage of the ballot measure as an effort to “enshrine in the state constitution a ban on private influence over the administration of elections.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Private influence schemes like ZuckBucks in 2020 and ZuckBucks 2.0 in 2024 should be banned in all 50 states because they sow distrust in election results. Conservatives and liberals alike want to make money. interests should not have any influence on how elections are conducted,” Snead said.
Andrew Mark Miller of The Associated Press and Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
