River Valley Today

In Anson, where voting officials received funding from a Mark Zuckerberg-related organization, Democrat support rose 10.6% from 2016 to 2020.

In 2020, Joe Biden secured 32% of 1,209 votes, compared to the 32% earned by Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Support for Trump increased in Anson 7% in 2020.

Anson was one of 208 Maine 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.

Democrat support across Maine areas that received funding from the CTCL rose 19.7% in 2020 from 2016.

Such support was unchanged in Maine areas that didn’t receive any funding from the CTCL.

The Republican Party earned 7% more votes in Maine districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 100% in counties without similar funding.

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
Albion	Yes	11.9	17
Alfred	Yes	7.1	21.1
Alna	Yes	-1.1	22.1
Alton	Yes	7.3	10.5
Amherst	Yes	16.2	12.3
Andover	Yes	4.6	14.4
Anson	Yes	12.9	10.6
Ashland	Yes	8.4	11.1
Auburn	Yes	1.6	22.4
Augusta	Yes	9.2	19.4
Bangor	Yes	1.1	15.9
Bath	Yes	-2	25.9
Belfast	Yes	1.5	21.1
Belgrade	Yes	9.8	20.3
Benton	Yes	16.9	11.6
Berwick	Yes	6.9	29.9
Biddeford	Yes	-0.6	27.6
Bingham	Yes	15.6	12.6
Blue Hill	Yes	11.4	20.4
Boothbay Harbor	Yes	0.7	11.7
Boothbay	Yes	2.6	25.4
Bowdoinham	Yes	6.6	28.2
Bradford	Yes	9.7	1.6
Bradley	Yes	18	12.8
Brewer	Yes	-0.7	17
Bristol	Yes	5.3	36.2
Brooksville	Yes	15.3	10.8
Brownfield	Yes	8.9	39.3
Brownville	Yes	40.7	32.7
Brunswick	Yes	2.4	21.7
Buckfield	Yes	2.7	17.5
Bucksport	Yes	10.9	23.5
Burlington	Yes	10.7	36.6
Buxton	Yes	5.8	27.5
Canaan	Yes	15.8	6.1
Caribou	Yes	7.4	6.7
Carmel	Yes	16.1	22
Casco	Yes	6	26.5
Castine	Yes	-33.7	5.2
Charleston	Yes	9	17.1
Chelsea	Yes	6.6	16.3
Chesterville	Yes	22.7	13.8
China	Yes	3.6	20.5
Clifton	Yes	10.6	10
Columbia Falls	Yes	7.4	45.1
Cornish	Yes	20.4	29.2
Crystal	Yes	17.6	18.2
Cushing	Yes	18.2	14
Damariscotta	Yes	2	27.8
Dayton	Yes	13.2	24.6
Dedham	Yes	7.4	21.1
Deer Isle	Yes	9.5	17.8
Denmark	Yes	2.6	41.8
Dennysville	Yes	9.2	45.7
Dexter	Yes	10.1	7.9
Dixfield	Yes	13.3	10.8
Dover-Foxcroft	Yes	19.2	15.8
Dresden	Yes	13.1	21.3
Durham	Yes	5.3	25.6
East Millinocket	Yes	14.8	-0.8
Eddington	Yes	15.2	13.3
Eliot	Yes	4.9	25.8
Ellsworth	Yes	11.6	25.6
Enfield	Yes	18.7	7.7
Eustis	Yes	14.9	27.2
Fairfield	Yes	5.7	14.2
Farmingdale	Yes	0.9	16.8
Farmington	Yes	3.9	12.4
Fayette	Yes	12.9	12.8
Fort Fairfield	Yes	10.9	2.3
Fort Kent	Yes	14.4	8.4
Freeport	Yes	1.9	25.7
Frenchville	Yes	15.7	-11
Fryeburg	Yes	5.9	30.9
Georgetown	Yes	4.6	30.6
Gorham	Yes	8.4	29.3
Gray	Yes	6.7	31.3
Greene	Yes	7.8	12.8
Guilford	Yes	16.2	11.7
Hallowell	Yes	19	16.8
Hampden	Yes	7.7	27.1
Hancock	Yes	14.7	30
Harpswell	Yes	8.1	26.5
Harrison	Yes	4.7	30.5
Hermon	Yes	11.8	31.4
Hiram	Yes	69.2	661.2
Hollis	Yes	15.5	24.9
Hope	Yes	6	21.6
Houlton	Yes	4.2	11.3
Howland	Yes	0.8	-10.9
Industry	Yes	8.1	22.8
Island Falls	Yes	22.9	7.3
Islesboro	Yes	3.4	10.4
Jay	Yes	16.1	6.7
Kenduskeag	Yes	11.5	19.8
Kennebunk	Yes	1.3	27.1
Kennebunkport	Yes	1.8	31
Kittery	Yes	3.6	27.2
Lamoine	Yes	11.6	28.1
Lebanon	Yes	12	31.2
Lee	Yes	-2.2	2.2
Leeds	Yes	8.9	22
Levant	Yes	12.1	12.5
Lewiston	Yes	-1.4	17
Limington	Yes	13.6	22.8
Lincoln	Yes	17.6	50
Lisbon	Yes	3.8	29.1
Litchfield	Yes	9	21.3
Livermore Falls	Yes	11.1	-1.8
Livermore	Yes	11.2	21.7
Long Island	Yes	1.9	22
Lowell	Yes	24.5	-8.2
Lyman	Yes	18.2	26.7
Madawaska	Yes	11.2	-3
Madison	Yes	11.8	14.1
Mars Hill	Yes	-1.4	15
Mechanic Falls	Yes	13.5	26.2
Medway	Yes	8.3	1
Mercer	Yes	25.8	15.8
Millinocket	Yes	12.8	14.9
Minot	Yes	6	25.4
Monmouth	Yes	9.9	24.7
Montville	Yes	-4.7	20.1
Mount Desert	Yes	-2.1	16.2
New Gloucester	Yes	6	27.4
New Sharon	Yes	6	26.1
New Sweden	Yes	-3.8	-6.8
Newburgh	Yes	9.7	11.6
Newcastle	Yes	6.1	17.4
Newfield	Yes	14.8	27
Nobleboro	Yes	7.9	33
Norridgewock	Yes	10.4	8
North Berwick	Yes	9.7	25.8
North Yarmouth	Yes	10.4	24.7
Norway	Yes	3.8	32.6
Oakland	Yes	8	16.6
Old Orchard Beach	Yes	10.3	24.5
Orono	Yes	-17	9
Orrington	Yes	7	25.3
Owls Head	Yes	5.3	17.7
Oxford	Yes	14.6	16.3
Pittsfield	Yes	7.8	21.9
Pittston	Yes	10.5	19.8
Poland	Yes	13.1	21.6
Porter	Yes	12.8	21.5
Portland	Yes	-4.5	18.4
Presque Isle	Yes	7.8	4.5
Prospect	Yes	8	8.3
Randolph	Yes	12.2	9.6
Rangeley	Yes	16.9	-97.6
Raymond	Yes	6.6	25.8
Readfield	Yes	205.2	234.4
Rockland	Yes	12.7	23.2
Rome	Yes	30.6	20.6
Sabattus	Yes	3.8	19.5
Saco	Yes	10.6	32.1
Sanford	Yes	9.2	-95.1
Scarborough	Yes	6.1	37.6
Searsmont	Yes	23.3	16.2
Sedgwick	Yes	11.8	28.7
Shapleigh	Yes	18.3	31.8
Sherman	Yes	6.4	-93.6
Sidney	Yes	19.6	-93.6
Skowhegan	Yes	8.3	12.1
Smithfield	Yes	7.2	10.2
Solon	Yes	15.5	4.3
Somerville	Yes	8.1	29.7
South Portland	Yes	-4.2	21.7
South Thomaston	Yes	5.2	29
Southport	Yes	-3.4	40.4
St. George	Yes	6.8	19.1
Stacyville	Yes	14.2	8.6
Standish	Yes	7.1	31.5
Starks	Yes	30.2	-95.9
Steuben	Yes	11.1	23.1
Stockholm	Yes	62.3	4.5
Stockton Springs	Yes	7.9	18.9
Stonington	Yes	2.8	16.9
Sumner	Yes	8.4	10.2
Thomaston	Yes	-30.6	-26.9
Topsham	Yes	2.7	26.9
Turner	Yes	2.1	18.9
Union	Yes	18.2	24.7
Van Buren	Yes	3,358.3	5,787.5
Vassalboro	Yes	4.4	18.9
Veazie	Yes	8.7	16.2
Wade	Yes	-8.1	29.3
Waldoboro	Yes	11.3	14.2
Wales	Yes	6.6	25.6
Warren	Yes	6.6	20.1
Washburn	Yes	7.5	-2.1
Washington	Yes	6.5	28.5
Waterville	Yes	8.4	20.3
West Bath	Yes	11.9	28.8
West Paris	Yes	1.5	9.4
Westbrook	Yes	0.5	33.9
Westport Island	Yes	5.5	25.7
Whitefield	Yes	9.6	13.7
Wilton	Yes	4.8	12.2
Windham	Yes	8.6	34.2
Windsor	Yes	10.6	17.5
Winslow	Yes	12.4	19.7
Winterville plantation	Yes	-1.4	-7.5
Wiscasset	Yes	-4.5	28.9
Woodland	Yes	4.3	3.5
Woodstock	Yes	32.2	34.3
Woolwich	Yes	6.1	25.2
Yarmouth	Yes	-4.3	29.1