The Sconi

Wisconsin has passed a new law that will ban any non-governmental entities from donating to state, city or town candidates to help protect election integrity. 

Assembly Bill 173 was in part a response to the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) report and analysis on the impact of the private election administration grants to state municipalities during the last presidential election in which 86% of the $10 million from the Center for Tech and Civil Live (CTCL), funded in part by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, went to cities within Wisconsin. 

"Under this bill, no official or agent of a county, city, village or town may apply for or accept any donation or grant of moneys, equipment, materials or personnel from an individual or nongovernmental entity for purposes of election administration, except as expressly authorized under the statutes relating to elections. If the Elections Commission accepts a donation or grant of moneys from an individual or nongovernmental entity for purposes of election administration, the commission may not expend those moneys," the bill said. 

Assembly Bill 173 works to further enhance Senate Bill 207 in Wisconsin that would require private funds handing out grants from the CTCL to first be reviewed by the Wisconsin Elections Commission. CTCL, which received $350 million from Zuckerberg, gave more than $8 million of that to large Wisconsin cities including Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha and Racine for "safety and security," Empowered Wisconsin said.

“Republicans are serious about restoring faith and trust in our elections,” Sen. Duey Stroebel said about Senate Bill 207, which partners with Assembly Bill 173, according to the Washington County Insider. “In back-to-back presidential elections polling found that a significant number of voters lack faith and trust in elections and the outcomes they produce. We told our constituents we would pass common-sense reforms that increase transparency, create consistency and establish standards of accountability for our elections. We continue to deliver on that promise.”

Research Director Will Flanders with WILL said that the report produced by WILL provides "convincing evidence" as to why bills like these need to be put in place for election integrity. The Washington County Insider also said that "AB 173, ensures that out-of-state billionaires can’t buy Wisconsin election administration."

“This analysis provides convincing evidence that the CTCL grants played a role in increasing turnout for President Joe Biden in 2020. Wisconsin lawmakers should act to ensure local election administration isn’t captured by private money seeking partisan advantage,” Flanders said, according to the report overview. 

The Capital Research Center reports that CTCV also used its money in the 2020 election to strategically fund the largest Democrat counties in other states including Arizona, Pennsylvania and Nevada, Lone Star Standard reported. 

The WILL estimates that CTCL grants increased turnouts for Biden, as areas that were funded experienced “statistically significant increases in turnout for Biden and Trump was not benefited by CTCL grants to election administrations.

According to the bill's language and Ballotpedia, Assembly Bill 173 will also punish those if they do not comply with new law.