Wisconsin Voters to Decide on Banning Private Money to Help Fund Elections

[BumRushDaShow]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Last edited Sun Mar 17, 2024, 09:49 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: US News and World Report/AP

March 17, 2024, at 12:32 a.m.


MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin voters are set to decide next month whether to make it unconstitutional to accept private grant money to help administer state elections, one of two Republican-backed ballot measures that Democrats say are meant to make it harder to conduct elections in the presidential battleground state.

The constitutional amendments on the state’s April 2 ballot also include a change to allow only election officials designated by law to administer elections. If a majority of voters approve, the amendments would be added to the state’s constitution.

Early in-person absentee voting is scheduled to begin Tuesday and can be offered through March 31.

Since 2020, Republicans in at least 27 states have outlawed or restricted private elections grants.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/wisconsin/articles/2024-03-17/wisconsin-voters-to-decide-on-banning-private-money-to-help-fund-elections

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This was due to the (R) temper tantrums when Zuckerberg provided grants to certain locales (like here in PA) to fund extra equipment and poll worker pay for the 2020 election due to the pandemic.

[pecosbob]

1. Public funding for elections, public funding for voter safety and public funding for campaigns...period

Money should be outlawed in all elections...period.

Republicans = ratfuckers.

[ificandream]

2. What am I missing here? This seems like something Democrats would be in favor of.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. You're not missing anything

This is one of those GOP "solutions in search of a problem" that has a narrowly targeted history.

We know that "private money" is already pumped into elections. But the instance that they are reacting to has been politicized due to what happened during the 2020 election. I.e., the GOP talking point became "Zuckerbucks". I guarantee they wouldn't complain about "Kochbucks".

From the article I linked to in the comments -

Mark Zuckerberg helped some Pa. counties survive the 2020 election. Right-wing lawmakers say that was unfair.


by Marie Albiges of Spotlight PA | May 28, 2021

HARRISBURG — As coronavirus cases rose and Pennsylvania counties were flooded with millions of mail ballot applications last fall, election directors were desperately searching for ways to help pay for the extraordinary costs brought on by the pandemic. They turned to private philanthropy when it became apparent the Republican-led General Assembly wasn’t going to help them cover COVID-related expenses like sneeze guards, hazard pay for poll workers, or more staff to handle the deluge of mail ballots from voters who didn’t want to risk exposure by voting in person.

Now, some of those same GOP lawmakers are moving to ban local election administrators from applying for private donations. All 67 of Pennsylvania’s counties were invited to apply for a Center for Tech and Civic Life grant after Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan donated an initial $250 million to the nonprofit. Of the counties that applied — including 13 that former President Donald Trump won in 2020 — all received what they requested or more.

“We had no issues with receiving those dollars or using those dollars,” Juniata County Commissioner Alice Gray, a Republican, told Spotlight PA and Votebeat. Her county — which Trump won with 80% of the vote — received $11,364 to spend on poll workers, cleaning supplies, and temporary staff.

“[Voters] were being kept safe,” Gray said. “Safety was the primary goal.” Experts and local officials say the issue underscores the need for the state and federal governments to step up and help fund election departments that have been battered as the voting process has become more complex and expensive.

(snip)

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2021/05/pa-2020-election-zuckerberg-grants-gop-outcry/

The above happened BEFORE Biden (and any significant pandemic funding).

[ificandream]

4. Thanks.

And I noticed this quote ...

“We had no issues with receiving those dollars or using those dollars,” Juniata County Commissioner Alice Gray, a Republican, told Spotlight PA and Votebeat. Her county — which Trump won with 80% of the vote — received $11,364 to spend on poll workers, cleaning supplies, and temporary staff.

As the song goes .... that was then, this is now.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Yup

The pandemic-impacted red counties embraced it here. But like everything else, they "get the memo" and are suddenly forced to reject something that actually benefited them.

(some have absolutely had enough and have left the GOP to become "unaffiliated" )

[Mawspam2]

6. This sounds like a gambit to make The League of Women Voters go away.

[Wild blueberry]

7. Vote NO

I'm a Wisconsin poll worker. This is ratfucking by the Republican legislature who know they cannot get these changes through legislatively because Governor Evers will veto them. So they're doing a two-fer: putting phony referendums on the April election to make it looks like they're doing something AND juice turnout of MAGAs.

Here are the Wisconsin League of Women Voters thoughts:

Question 1: “Use of private funds in election administration.
Elections need to be fully funded. This amendment reduces the options for municipal governments looking for outside sources of funding for elections without providing alternative resources. This change will shift the burden even further onto tax payers.
This change will have a negative impact on the voter experience and could lead to long lines and wait times at polling places, consolidated polling places, longer waits for election night results, and more due to lack of funding.
This change does not belong in our constitution. If the legislature wants to make this change, they should work with the governor to do so in a way that ensures our elections are fully funded.
Vote No on question 1 to ensure our clerks have the support and money they need to keep our elections running smoothly and securely.


Question 2: “Election officials.
Elections are a lot of work. Clerks rely on a whole host of outside experts, volunteers, and community members to make sure our elections are run smoothly and the results are accurate.
Voter education organizations, like LWV, play a critical role in informing the public about their right to vote. This proposed change to our constitution ties the hands of our election officials from getting the outside support they need for our elections to function.
This change does not belong in our constitution. If the legislature wants to make this change, they should work with the governor to do so in a way that ensures our clerks are able to get the support they need to run our elections.
Vote No to question 2 to ensure our clerks have the support they need to run our elections and voters have the support they need to make informed decisions for our state.

[Omaha Steve]

8. AFTER a review by forum hosts LOCKING

Feature/analysis piece, not LBN.