Washoe County Accepted Private Money to Conduct 2020 Election

In early 2020, the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) received a $250 million grant from Facebook founder and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg and his wife. Then October 2020, they announced they were donating an additional $100 million to CTCL, with reports stating it may have been as high as $500 million.

Listed as a CTCL COVID-19 Response Grant Program, these grants, which at minimum, begin at $5-thousand, provided funding to local election offices to help ensure they have the ‘critical resources they need to safely serve every voter in 2020.’ The grant program is an open call to every local election office in the country.

CTCL also appears in a list of links found on the Nevada Association of County Clerks and Election Officials official page which is contained within the Nevada Secretary of State official website.

With these grants came various ways for counties around the nation to increase volunteerism in precincts. This includes ‘Adopt-a-Precinct,’ turning Election Day into ‘a fundraising and team-building opportunity for churches, nonprofits, and fraternities’ and where the group receives a single check for working Election Day.

On January 03, 2020, the Washoe County Registrar of Voters office announced the launching of the ‘Adopt a Polling Place program’ for the 2020 elections, offering groups or organizations over $1,100 during each Primary or General Election for their ‘volunteer’ work.

“We have so many dedicated individuals that serve during each election cycle. However, we wanted to better engage our community groups and organizations to serve together. During the upcoming 2020 Primary & General Elections, we will offer more polling locations this election, resulting in an increased need for poll workers,” said Registrar of Voters, Deanna Spikula. “This is also a great way for a business or organization to be recognized favorably in the community. By adopting a polling place, organizations can experience an increase in visibility, awareness and a more engaged workforce.”

Clark County, the hub for the majority of the state fraud allegations, also accepted money from CTCL. And while the minimum grant begins at $5 thousand, no total amount is given in the public record as to how much these grants were for, what they were used for, who administered the money, or why the money was even needed prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.