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In 2020, Joe Biden secured 32% of 3,366 votes, compared to the 35% 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 Texas, Democrat turnout rose 33.4% in areas which received the funding, while increasing 41.9% in areas which did not.
The Republican Party earned 26.9% more votes in Texas districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 23.6% in jurisdictions without similar funding.
Support for Trump increased in Refugio 20.8% in 2020.
There were 428 more votes cast in Refugio in the 2020 election than in 2016.
Refugio was one of 101 Texas 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.
Such support rose 41.9% in Texas areas that didn’t receive any funding from the CTCL.
| Area | Received CTCL Funding? | % Change in Republican Support | % Change in Democratic Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archer | Yes | 13.6 | 13.2 |
| Austin | Yes | 18.8 | 27.2 |
| Bailey | Yes | 6.7 | 3 |
| Bandera | Yes | 23.2 | 45.1 |
| Bastrop | Yes | 25.6 | 46.4 |
| Bee | Yes | 26.6 | -4.5 |
| Bexar | Yes | 28.4 | 40.3 |
| Blanco | Yes | 29.2 | 53.6 |
| Bosque | Yes | 17.8 | 22.1 |
| Brooks | Yes | 62.8 | -24.1 |
| Burleson | Yes | 26.8 | 19.9 |
| Calhoun | Yes | 21.6 | 1.4 |
| Callahan | Yes | 23.6 | 29 |
| Cameron | Yes | 66.4 | 7.8 |
| Camp | Yes | 13.3 | 10.6 |
| Chambers | Yes | 30.1 | 35.6 |
| Clay | Yes | 15.8 | 14.6 |
| Coke | Yes | 25.4 | 27.1 |
| Coleman | Yes | 14.6 | 16.2 |
| Colorado | Yes | 18.1 | 21.8 |
| Cooke | Yes | 18.3 | 36.5 |
| Dallas | Yes | 16.8 | 29.8 |
| Dimmit | Yes | 42.1 | 4.2 |
| Duval | Yes | 85.6 | -7.5 |
| Eastland | Yes | 20.4 | 26.7 |
| El Paso | Yes | 51.9 | 20.5 |
| Ellis | Yes | 26.2 | 69.6 |
| Fayette | Yes | 16.3 | 24.1 |
| Floyd | Yes | 7.5 | 0.7 |
| Fort Bend | Yes | 34.5 | 45.2 |
| Franklin | Yes | 16.1 | 20.9 |
| Garza | Yes | 15.3 | 0.4 |
| Gillespie | Yes | 19.8 | 38.8 |
| Goliad | Yes | 17.7 | -9.9 |
| Gray | Yes | 5.2 | 18.3 |
| Grayson | Yes | 25 | 40.8 |
| Grimes | Yes | 33.5 | 29.1 |
| Harris | Yes | 28.3 | 29.7 |
| Hays | Yes | 25.2 | 63.4 |
| Henderson | Yes | 22.2 | 24.5 |
| Hidalgo | Yes | 86.1 | 7.9 |
| Hill | Yes | 18 | 12.3 |
| Hopkins | Yes | 18.8 | 21.4 |
| Houston | Yes | 13.8 | 17 |
| Howard | Yes | 21.4 | 16.9 |
| Hutchinson | Yes | 9.1 | 13 |
| Jackson | Yes | 22.6 | 14.3 |
| Jasper | Yes | 18.2 | 14.1 |
| Jefferson | Yes | 11 | 8.6 |
| Kaufman | Yes | 27.2 | 79.1 |
| Kinney | Yes | 22.2 | -2.6 |
| Lamar | Yes | 15.1 | 24.4 |
| Lamb | Yes | 13.2 | 8.9 |
| Lavaca | Yes | 19.8 | 13.9 |
| Liberty | Yes | 23.3 | 19 |
| Limestone | Yes | 17.1 | 24.5 |
| Llano | Yes | 21.4 | 35.1 |
| Lynn | Yes | 19.9 | 6.2 |
| Madison | Yes | 24.4 | 23.5 |
| Martin | Yes | 27.6 | 8.3 |
| Matagorda | Yes | 17.7 | 6.7 |
| Maverick | Yes | 144.4 | -19.9 |
| McMullen | Yes | 1.3 | 32.5 |
| Menard | Yes | 20.7 | 27.9 |
| Milam | Yes | 25.5 | 21.7 |
| Montague | Yes | 14.5 | 24 |
| Montgomery | Yes | 28.7 | 62.3 |
| Moore | Yes | 9.6 | -3.3 |
| Motley | Yes | 6.7 | 15 |
| Nueces | Yes | 27.3 | 23.8 |
| Ochiltree | Yes | 7 | 10.2 |
| Oldham | Yes | 7.9 | 3.8 |
| Palo Pinto | Yes | 22.9 | 27.5 |
| Parker | Yes | 33.5 | 56 |
| Polk | Yes | 22.4 | 28.7 |
| Potter | Yes | 16.3 | 29.6 |
| Red River | Yes | 15.1 | 8.4 |
| Refugio | Yes | 20.8 | 7.2 |
| Rockwall | Yes | 29.1 | 70 |
| Runnels | Yes | 17.1 | 21.9 |
| Rusk | Yes | 12.7 | 17.6 |
| Sabine | Yes | 19.7 | 9 |
| San Jacinto | Yes | 26.1 | 14.7 |
| San Patricio | Yes | 26.8 | 14.2 |
| Shackelford | Yes | 7.7 | 26.2 |
| Somervell | Yes | 28 | 42 |
| Stephens | Yes | 11.6 | 14.1 |
| Stonewall | Yes | 10.8 | -14.1 |
| Swisher | Yes | 10.4 | 3.5 |
| Tarrant | Yes | 18.4 | 42.7 |
| Terry | Yes | 14.4 | 0.5 |
| Travis | Yes | 26.8 | 41.4 |
| Tyler | Yes | 23.7 | 12.4 |
| Upshur | Yes | 19.7 | 20.9 |
| Uvalde | Yes | 27.7 | 5.3 |
| Victoria | Yes | 9.8 | 17.1 |
| Waller | Yes | 35.4 | 42.5 |
| Washington | Yes | 18.4 | 26 |
| Webb | Yes | 100 | -1.2 |
| Williamson | Yes | 34.1 | 70.2 |
| Wilson | Yes | 31.9 | 32.6 |
| Wood | Yes | 21.3 | 33.4 |
| Young | Yes | 7.7 | 18 |
| Anderson County | No | 14.5 | 17.4 |
| Andrews County | No | 25.9 | 1.7 |
| Angelina County | No | 15.7 | 21.3 |
| Aransas County | No | 19.4 | 18.3 |
| Armstrong County | No | 12 | 7.1 |
| Atascosa County | No | 39.7 | 26.3 |
| Baylor County | No | 17.9 | -4.2 |
| Bell County | No | 30.6 | 50.8 |
| Borden County | No | 20.3 | -48.4 |
| Bowie County | No | 8.8 | 21.6 |
| Brazoria County | No | 24.2 | 44 |
| Brazos County | No | 22.7 | 52.9 |
| Brewster County | No | 18.5 | 20.6 |
| Briscoe County | No | 2.2 | -14.3 |
| Brown County | No | 14 | 30 |
| Burnet County | No | 28.2 | 48.5 |
| Caldwell County | No | 20 | 39.1 |
| Carson County | No | 6.1 | 19.3 |
| Cass County | No | 13.4 | 16.9 |
| Castro County | No | 13.3 | -11.4 |
| Cherokee County | No | 16.9 | 21.4 |
| Childress County | No | 7.8 | 22.5 |
| Cochran County | No | 19.1 | -6.8 |
| Collin County | No | 25.5 | 64.2 |
| Collingsworth County | No | 6.6 | 6.9 |
| Comal County | No | 39 | 74.4 |
| Comanche County | No | 19.5 | 8.1 |
| Concho County | No | 19.5 | 33.1 |
| Coryell County | No | 26.3 | 49.4 |
| Cottle County | No | 6.7 | 22.8 |
| Crane County | No | 18.9 | -19.4 |
| Crockett County | No | 24.5 | -7.5 |
| Crosby County | No | 18.2 | 12.6 |
| Culberson County | No | 48.2 | -3.5 |
| Dallam County | No | 10.2 | -11.3 |
| Dawson County | No | 11.9 | -3.2 |
| Deaf Smith County | No | 13.2 | 6.7 |
| Delta County | No | 17.8 | 0.8 |
| Denton County | No | 30.4 | 70.2 |
| DeWitt County | No | 19 | 28.5 |
| Dickens County | No | 13 | 1.6 |
| Donley County | No | 17.4 | 3.7 |
| Ector County | No | 30.7 | 10.9 |
| Edwards County | No | 19.7 | -44.6 |
| Erath County | No | 22.1 | 35 |
| Falls County | No | 21.4 | 12.8 |
| Fannin County | No | 27.5 | 24.5 |
| Fisher County | No | 14.5 | -12.7 |
| Foard County | No | 16.2 | -12.4 |
| Freestone County | No | 16 | 11.1 |
| Frio County | No | 52.1 | -0.9 |
| Gaines County | No | 37.1 | -3.5 |
| Galveston County | No | 27.3 | 34.8 |
| Glasscock County | No | 10.5 | 14.7 |
| Gonzales County | No | 22.7 | 24 |
| Gregg County | No | 13 | 26.7 |
| Guadalupe County | No | 29.8 | 56.6 |
| Hale County | No | 12.7 | 8.5 |
| Hall County | No | 11.4 | 2.4 |
| Hamilton County | No | 18.2 | 33.8 |
| Hansford County | No | 6.9 | -2.9 |
| Hardeman County | No | 10.2 | -3.2 |
| Hardin County | No | 21.7 | 25 |
| Harrison County | No | 14.5 | 10.6 |
| Hartley County | No | 8 | 12.7 |
| Haskell County | No | 31.1 | 12.4 |
| Hemphill County | No | 1.6 | 13.8 |
| Hockley County | No | 12.5 | 17.6 |
| Hood County | No | 23.9 | 40.9 |
| Hudspeth County | No | 54.9 | 14.5 |
| Hunt County | No | 22 | 39.2 |
| Irion County | No | 15 | 33.3 |
| Jack County | No | 15 | 5.4 |
| Jeff Davis County | No | 12.8 | 18.7 |
| Jim Hogg County | No | 93.7 | -26.8 |
| Jim Wells County | No | 37.5 | -8.6 |
| Johnson County | No | 23.1 | 49.8 |
| Jones County | No | 17.5 | 6.7 |
| Karnes County | No | 33.8 | 7.8 |
| Kendall County | No | 27.9 | 65.2 |
| Kenedy County | No | 51.2 | -34.3 |
| Kent County | No | 14.2 | -20.3 |
| Kerr County | No | 17.8 | 39.4 |
| Kimble County | No | 17.1 | 37.9 |
| King County | No | 1.3 | 60 |
| Kleberg County | No | 26 | 12.7 |
| Knox County | No | 9.5 | 7.3 |
| La Salle County | No | 162.5 | 200.6 |
| Lampasas County | No | -57.1 | 36.4 |
| Lee County | No | 25.2 | 27.6 |
| Leon County | No | 17.7 | 17.9 |
| Lipscomb County | No | 4 | -3 |
| Live Oak County | No | 21.2 | 10.4 |
| Loving County | No | 3.4 | 100 |
| Lubbock County | No | 20.1 | 42.8 |
| Marion County | No | -58.5 | -61.7 |
| Martin County | No | -34.1 | -97.2 |
| Mason County | No | -22 | -5.2 |
| Matagorda County | No | -79.6 | -86.2 |
| McCulloch County | No | -13.3 | -44.4 |
| McLennan County | No | 1,896.1 | 3,049.2 |
| Medina County | No | 29.4 | 46.2 |
| Midland County | No | 23.4 | 23 |
| Mills County | No | 13.6 | 11.5 |
| Mitchell County | No | 21.9 | 12.1 |
| Morris County | No | 12.4 | 17.1 |
| Nacogdoches County | No | 17.6 | 31.5 |
| Navarro County | No | 15.1 | 27.5 |
| Newton County | No | 13.9 | 1.5 |
| Nolan County | No | 16.3 | 12.9 |
| Orange County | No | 14.4 | 10.8 |
| Panola County | No | 10.4 | 12.1 |
| Parmer County | No | 11.5 | 0.6 |
| Pecos County | No | 30.3 | -11.1 |
| Presidio County | No | 10.6 | 0.3 |
| Rains County | No | 29.9 | 34.1 |
| Randall County | No | 16.9 | 53 |
| Reagan County | No | 32.9 | 3 |
| Real County | No | 18.9 | 22.1 |
| Reeves County | No | 59.1 | -15.9 |
| Roberts County | No | 1 | -15 |
| Robertson County | No | 21 | 7.8 |
| San Augustine County | No | 14.7 | 7.7 |
| San Saba County | No | 14 | -2 |
| Schleicher County | No | 14.5 | 1.4 |
| Scurry County | No | 13 | 11.6 |
| Shelby County | No | 11.1 | 17.6 |
| Sherman County | No | 9.8 | -5.2 |
| Smith County | No | 17.2 | 32.8 |
| Starr County | No | 270.8 | -1.8 |
| Sterling County | No | 6.4 | -27.1 |
| Sutton County | No | 13.7 | 2.9 |
| Taylor County | No | 18.9 | 44.7 |
| Terrell County | No | 16 | -15 |
| Throckmorton County | No | 12.7 | -2.4 |
| Titus County | No | 16.3 | 10 |
| Tom Green County | No | 17.5 | 33.4 |
| Trinity County | No | 17.8 | 14.6 |
| Upton County | No | 17 | -40.6 |
| Val Verde County | No | 40.6 | -2.8 |
| Van Zandt County | No | 20.6 | 25.6 |
| Walker County | No | 19.3 | 29.4 |
| Ward County | No | 27.2 | -2.4 |
| Wharton County | No | 17.5 | 10.8 |
| Wheeler County | No | 3.4 | -13.4 |
| Wichita County | No | 16.1 | 50.1 |
| Wilbarger County | No | 11.3 | 18.2 |
| Willacy County | No | 57.8 | -9.2 |
| Winkler County | No | 24.9 | -14.8 |
| Wise County | No | 30.8 | 45.8 |
| Yoakum County | No | 21 | -1.4 |
| Zapata County | No | 97.6 | -11.5 |
| Zavala County | No | 114.7 | 8.6 |
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