Dartmouth Times

In Charlestown, where voting officials received funding from a Mark Zuckerberg-related organization, Democrat turnout increased 13.8% from 2016 to 2020, while Republican turnout increased by 6.9%.

In 2020, Joe Biden secured 47% of 2,481 votes, compared to the 45% 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 New Hampshire, Democrat turnout rose 22.5% in areas which received the funding, while unchanged in areas which did not.

The Republican Party earned 1.4% less votes in New Hampshire districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 100% in jurisdictions without similar funding.

Support for Trump increased in Charlestown 1% in 2020.

There were 189 more votes cast in Charlestown in the 2020 election than in 2016.

Charlestown was one of 65 New Hampshire 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.

Area	Received CTCL Funding?	% Change in Republican Support	% Change in Democratic Support
Allenstown	Yes	2.3	5
Auburn	Yes	0.7	3.7
Barrington	Yes	2.4	6.2
Bethlehem	Yes	3.3	4.9
Boscawen	Yes	1.8	0.5
Bow	Yes	3.9	6.7
Bristol	Yes	3	6
Candia	Yes	0	3.7
Charlestown	Yes	0.6	2.3
Conway	Yes	2.3	4.8
Danville	Yes	2.3	4.6
Derry	Yes	2.5	5.2
Dorchester	Yes	-14.1	19.8
Dublin	Yes	0.3	2.6
Dunbarton	Yes	2.5	4.9
Ellsworth	Yes	2.6	10.4
Exeter	Yes	3.5	6.2
Franconia	Yes	0.8	1.9
Fremont	Yes	1.5	4.7
Groton	Yes	0	2.5
Hampstead	Yes	3.5	5.6
Hampton Falls	Yes	2.6	6
Hill	Yes	0.4	2.3
Hooksett	Yes	2	4.1
Jackson	Yes	0	8
Kingston	Yes	0.5	3.4
Lebanon	Yes	1.8	4
Lisbon	Yes	2.9	6.5
Litchfield	Yes	3.7	6.7
Londonderry	Yes	2.8	6
Loudon	Yes	2.3	5
Lyman	Yes	0.7	4.4
Marlborough	Yes	0.6	1.8
Merrimack	Yes	5	8.2
Milford	Yes	1.7	4.5
Mont Vernon	Yes	4.3	6.9
Moultonborough	Yes	4.9	7.7
Nashua	Yes	2.4	5
New Boston	Yes	1.8	5.1
New Durham	Yes	0.8	3.5
New Hampton	Yes	1.8	5.1
New Ipswich	Yes	0.4	3.3
Newmarket	Yes	2.7	6.1
Newton	Yes	2.9	5.9
North Hampton	Yes	4.6	7
Northfield	Yes	2.6	4.7
Northumberland	Yes	2.5	0.2
Nottingham	Yes	2.7	5.7
Randolph	Yes	2.1	2.1
Salem	Yes	2.8	4.6
Sanbornton	Yes	0.2	2.6
Springfield	Yes	3.1	6.7
Thornton	Yes	1.6	5.4
Troy	Yes	0.8	3
Tuftonboro	Yes	1.7	4.4
Webster	Yes	1.1	0.4
Wentworth	Yes	0	11.4
Whitefield	Yes	1.1	4.4
Woodstock	Yes	1.9	5.9
Berlin	Yes	0	2.4
Claremont	Yes	1.3	3.4
Dover	Yes	-35.5	37.7
Keene	Yes	-31.3	32.7
Manchester	Yes	2.3	4.6