Wisconsin voters approved two constitutional amendments that would ban the use of private funds, referred to as “Zuckerbucks,” in election administration in the state. The amendments were pushed by Republican lawmakers and received majority support from voters. The measures prohibit clerks from accepting private grant money to help conduct elections and require that only election officials can conduct elections. State GOP Chairman Brian Schimming emphasized that elections should belong to voters and not out-of-state billionaires.
Democrats opposed the measures, expressing concerns that they would make it more challenging to conduct elections. They also raised questions about how the broadly written election workers provision would be interpreted and implemented by local officials. The amendments were a reaction to grant money that came to Wisconsin in 2020 from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, which advocates for voter access. The organization received a $300 million donation from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan to help election officials during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding aimed to assist jurisdictions in dealing with the pandemic by providing resources such as ballot drop boxes, voting equipment, additional manpower, protective gear for poll workers, and public education campaigns on new voting methods. The state’s five largest cities, all won by President Biden, received $8.8 million as part of the funding distribution. Republicans across the country have argued that such funding disproportionately benefits Democrats in elections. Wisconsin is now the 28th state to restrict the use of private funds in elections, following others like Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Arizona.
The National Chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative, Ken Cuccinelli, commended the ban on Zuckerbucks in Wisconsin after Governor Evers’ vetoes. He criticized the partisan nature of private funding in elections, arguing that it undermines integrity. Sam Rogers, state government affairs director for the Foundation for Government Accountability, highlighted the significance of Wisconsin’s decision to protect the integrity of future elections by enshrining the ban on private funds in the state constitution. The impact of this change is expected to be felt in upcoming elections.
Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, praised the passage of the ballot measures as an effort to eliminate private influence on election administration. He stated that private influence schemes such as Zuckerbucks sow distrust in election outcomes and should be banned nationwide. Moneyed interests, regardless of political affiliation, should not have the power to influence how elections are conducted. The amendments in Wisconsin mark a step towards ensuring the integrity and fairness of the electoral process.
