Berks County officials said that it had not received money from an organization called Center for Tech and Civic Life. The group has been providing funding to municipalities to have safe elections. | Adobe Stock
Berks County officials said that it had not received money from an organization called Center for Tech and Civic Life. The group has been providing funding to municipalities to have safe elections. | Adobe Stock
As some local governments in battleground states set up drop boxes for absentee ballots using, in part grants, from a nonprofit organization, Berks County isn't among them.
The Center for Tech and Civic Life, which is described as left-of-center for voting policies and administration, Influence Watch said on its website, has provided funds to several jurisdictions.
"Berks County did not accept any funding from the Center for Tech and Civic Life to support elections operations," Jill Koharcheck, open records officer with the Berks County Solicitor's Office, told the Berks County News.
In the key battleground state of Wisconsin, the group awarded grants to the cities of Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee and Racine, Spectrum News reported.
"From ensuring that polling places are open and following the latest public health guidelines to providing options for voters to easily and securely return absentee ballots, to making certain that the incredible people who step up to serve as poll workers are protected and well-compensated for their service, we're proud to partner with the five largest cities in Wisconsin to deliver a smooth voting process that inspires confidence," CTCL Executive Director Tiana Epps-Johnson said in a July statement on the organization's website.
As with most issues in 2020, drop boxes have become a partisan concern, particularly in battleground states such as Nevada.
Democrats support drop boxes as an alternative for voters who don't trust the U.S. Postal Service to deliver their ballots, Reuters reported. Republican officials are banning them in states such as Missouri.
President Trump's reelection campaign has sued states, including Pennsylvania, alleging that its containers will lead to fraud, Reuters and other news outlets have reported.
Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, recently announced a $250 million donation to The Center for Tech and Civic Life.
"Due to the unprecedented challenges COVID-19 will have on voting across the country, election officials are working around the clock to make sure that every voter has the ability to participate safely and have their vote counted," Zuckerberg and Chan said in a statement. "Many counties and states are strapped financially and working to determine how to staff and fund operations that will allow ballots to be cast and counted in a timely way."
Alerts Sign-up