In Custer, where voting officials received funding from a Mark Zuckerberg-related organization, Democrat turnout increased 28.7% from 2016 to 2020, while Republican turnout increased by 15%.
In 2020, Joe Biden secured 25% of 5,860 votes, compared to the 22% votes earned by Hillary Clinton in 2016. Grants to voting officials, funded almost entirely by Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, weren’t offered in 2016.
In Montana, Democrat turnout rose 38.4% in areas which received the funding, while increasing 35.4% in areas which did not.
The Republican Party earned 23.1% more votes in Montana districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 22.9% in jurisdictions without similar funding.
Support for Trump increased in Custer 0% in 2020.
There were 725 more votes cast in Custer in the 2020 election than in 2016.
Custer was one of 28 Montana 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.
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.
| Area | Received CTCL Funding? | % Change in Republican Support | % Change in Democratic Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaine | Yes | 2.2 | 4.2 |
| Cascade | Yes | 0.4 | 2.7 |
| Custer | Yes | 0.5 | 2.9 |
| Daniels | Yes | 1.9 | 1.5 |
| Deer Lodge | Yes | 1.7 | 2.2 |
| Gallatin | Yes | 1.1 | 5.6 |
| Glacier | Yes | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Hill | Yes | 0.2 | 3.8 |
| Lake | Yes | 2.6 | 4.4 |
| Lewis and Clark | Yes | 0.3 | 3.6 |
| Liberty | Yes | 2.4 | 1.3 |
| Madison | Yes | 1.7 | 3.8 |
| Missoula | Yes | 2.1 | 5.5 |
| Park | Yes | 2.8 | 6 |
| Phillips | Yes | 0.8 | 2.6 |
| Pondera | Yes | 0.5 | 2.5 |
| Powell | Yes | 0.1 | 3.6 |
| Prairie | Yes | 0 | 2.4 |
| Ravalli | Yes | 0.2 | 2.5 |
| Sheridan | Yes | 0.5 | 1.9 |
| Stillwater | Yes | 2 | 1.4 |
| Sweet Grass | Yes | 1.7 | 3.1 |
| Teton | Yes | 1.8 | 1.6 |
| Toole | Yes | 0.3 | 1.9 |
| Valley | Yes | 2.9 | 1 |
| Wheatland | Yes | 1.1 | 1.7 |
| Wibaux | Yes | 0.1 | 2.6 |
| Yellowstone | Yes | 0.1 | 3.7 |
| Beaverhead County | No | 0.2 | 4.8 |
| Big Horn County | No | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Broadwater County | No | 2.5 | 2.1 |
| Carbon County | No | 0.5 | 3.7 |
| Carter County | No | 2.7 | 0.4 |
| Chouteau County | No | 1.1 | 5.1 |
| Dawson County | No | 1.2 | 1.8 |
| Fallon County | No | 1.1 | 0.5 |
| Fergus County | No | 1.7 | 2.4 |
| Flathead County | No | 1.1 | 5.2 |
| Garfield County | No | 2.8 | 0.3 |
| Golden Valley County | No | 4.8 | 0.4 |
| Granite County | No | 0.4 | 3.8 |
| Jefferson County | No | 2.9 | 2.2 |
| Judith Basin County | No | 4.8 | 0.9 |
| Lincoln County | No | 1.3 | 2.1 |
| McCone County | No | 3.4 | 0.8 |
| Meagher County | No | 0.3 | 3.4 |
| Mineral County | No | 4.9 | 0.9 |
| Musselshell County | No | 2.7 | 0.6 |
| Petroleum County | No | 0.7 | 1.9 |
| Powder River County | No | 1.3 | 1.5 |
| Richland County | No | 2.2 | 1.2 |
| Roosevelt County | No | 0.4 | 4.8 |
| Rosebud County | No | 0.4 | 3.1 |
| Sanders County | No | 1.7 | 3.3 |
| Silver Bow County | No | 2.7 | 3.3 |
| Treasure County | No | 1.9 | 3.6 |
