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In 2020, Joe Biden secured 52% of 78,526 votes, compared to the 47% earned by Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Support for Trump increased in Rensselaer 10.9% in 2020.
Rensselaer was one of 35 New York 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 New York areas that received funding from the CTCL rose 17.9% in 2020 from 2016.
Such support rose 369.4% in New York areas that didn’t receive any funding from the CTCL.
The Republican Party earned 10.9% more votes in New York districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 128.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany | Yes | 12.9 | 23.9 |
| Broome | Yes | 7 | 21.2 |
| Cattaraugus | Yes | 12.5 | 25.1 |
| Cayuga | Yes | 12.9 | 21 |
| Chautauqua | Yes | 10.3 | 20.9 |
| Chemung | Yes | 9.1 | 21.4 |
| Clinton | Yes | 14.3 | 21.9 |
| Columbia | Yes | 5.1 | 33.4 |
| Delaware | Yes | 12.1 | 38 |
| Dutchess | Yes | 8.2 | 32 |
| Erie | Yes | 4.9 | 24 |
| Genesee | Yes | 11.6 | 25.8 |
| Jefferson | Yes | 17.8 | 25.3 |
| Nassau | Yes | 11.9 | 19.4 |
| New York | Yes | 31.2 | 4.1 |
| Onondaga | Yes | 9.6 | 23.7 |
| Ontario | Yes | 10.6 | 29.3 |
| Oswego | Yes | 16.1 | 23.7 |
| Putnam | Yes | 8.4 | 28.9 |
| Rensselaer | Yes | 8.2 | 25.2 |
| Rockland | Yes | 20.2 | 9.3 |
| Saratoga | Yes | 12.3 | 34.5 |
| Schenectady | Yes | 6.2 | 25.8 |
| Schoharie | Yes | 12.1 | 26.1 |
| Schuyler | Yes | 11.3 | 26.3 |
| St. Lawrence | Yes | 23.4 | 17.4 |
| Steuben | Yes | 9.9 | 26.1 |
| Suffolk | Yes | 8.8 | 25.4 |
| Sullivan | Yes | 17 | 23.2 |
| Tioga | Yes | 11.5 | 28 |
| Tompkins | Yes | 7 | 16.4 |
| Ulster | Yes | 6.7 | 30 |
| Warren | Yes | 12.4 | 34.8 |
| Westchester | Yes | 10.3 | 14.5 |
| Yates | Yes | 9.7 | 15.3 |
| Albany County | No | -3.6 | 9.9 |
| Chenango County | No | 28.5 | 155.6 |
| Cortland County | No | 27.8 | -2.3 |
| Essex County | No | 14.2 | 12.9 |
| Franklin County | No | 72.1 | 3.5 |
| Fulton County | No | 25.3 | 40.2 |
| Greene County | No | -84.3 | -84.7 |
| Hamilton County | No | 751.3 | 897.3 |
| Herkimer County | No | 43.8 | 106.3 |
| Lewis County | No | 127.2 | 345.6 |
| Livingston County | No | 635.6 | 1,896.9 |
| Madison County | No | -27.4 | -34.6 |
| Monroe County | No | 123.4 | 102 |
| Montgomery County | No | 336.1 | 562.9 |
| Niagara County | No | -50.6 | -23 |
| Oneida County | No | 42.1 | 139.4 |
| Orange County | No | -82.5 | -82 |
| Orleans County | No | 142 | 419.8 |
| Otsego County | No | 384.7 | 585.6 |
| Seneca County | No | 41.5 | 408.7 |
| Washington County | No | 356.9 | 3,612.8 |
| Wayne County | No | 701.1 | 4,418.6 |
| Wyoming County | No | 1,488.2 | 13,300.4 |
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