In a significant development, Wisconsin voters are projected to endorse two election-related amendments to the state constitution, according to CNN. This outcome is seen as a triumph for Republican legislators who have been advocating for changes in voting regulations in this crucial swing state, ahead of the upcoming presidential election in November.
Restrictions on Private Funding in Election Administration
The decision to prohibit the use of private funds in election administration is hailed as a victory by conservative activists. They have been critical of what they term as “Zuckerbucks” – a reference to the financial contributions made by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, to a nonprofit organization. This organization played a pivotal role in assisting administrators across the nation in conducting the 2020 election amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zuckerberg’s one-time donation of $350 million, which included approximately $10 million allocated to Wisconsin jurisdictions, has been a point of contention. The grant administrators emphasized that all communities that applied for the funding received it, and partisan considerations did not influence their decisions. However, critics argue that these funds disproportionately boosted Democratic turnout, especially in the state’s major cities, and unduly influenced the 2020 election results. Wisconsin, which had previously supported Donald Trump, switched allegiance to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Biden secured victory in Wisconsin by a margin of less than 21,000 votes.
Following Trump’s defeat in 2020, he and his supporters have persistently, yet without evidence, alleged that election fraud was a factor in his loss in Wisconsin. Since the 2020 election, over two dozen states have imposed restrictions, limitations, or regulations on private election donations, as per the National Conference of State Legislatures. A similar legislative attempt in Wisconsin was vetoed by the state’s Democratic governor, Tony Evers, who has consistently opposed election changes proposed by the Republican-dominated legislature.
Additional Constitutional Amendment
Wisconsin voters are also expected to approve another constitutional amendment on Tuesday. This amendment stipulates that only officials appointed by state law can administer elections. Supporters argue that this measure is necessary to prevent external consultants from participating in the election process. Critics, however, warn that these measures could lead to unforeseen consequences, such as potentially preventing local clerks from accepting donated supplies or using privately-owned buildings as polling stations. They also point out that the ballot questions do not guarantee additional government funding to manage elections once private funding is curtailed.