Republicans in Sartell see biggest gain in 2020 election after grants given to voting officials

In Sartell, where voting officials received funding from a Mark Zuckerberg-related organization, Democrat support rose 24.7% from 2016 to 2020.

In 2020, Joe Biden secured 41% of 1,087 votes, compared to the 35% earned by Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Support for Trump increased in Sartell 9.5% in 2020.

Sartell was one of 27 Minnesota 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.

Democrat support across Minnesota areas that received funding from the CTCL rose 23.6% in 2020 from 2016.

Such support rose 11.5% in Minnesota areas that didn’t receive any funding from the CTCL.

The Republican Party earned 9.5% more votes in Minnesota districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 11.3% in counties without similar funding.

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.