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Friday, March 14, 2025

Republicans in Calcasieu see biggest gain in 2020 election after grants from Mark Zuckerberg given to voting officials

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In Calcasieu, where voting officials received funding from a Mark Zuckerberg-related organization, Democrat turnout decreased 1.2% from 2016 to 2020, while Republican turnout increased by 1.6%.

In 2020, Joe Biden secured 31% of 82,131 votes, compared to the 31% 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 Louisiana, Democrat turnout rose 8.4% in areas which received the funding, while increasing 10.1% in areas which did not.

The Republican Party earned 4.1% more votes in Louisiana districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 6.7% in jurisdictions without similar funding.

Support for Trump increased in Calcasieu 2% in 2020.

There were 142 less votes cast in Calcasieu in the 2020 election than in 2016.

Calcasieu was one of 2 Louisiana 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.

Voting differences in some Louisiana locations in 2020 election
AreaReceived CTCL Funding?% Change in Republican Support% Change in Democratic Support
CalcasieuYes1.2-0.3
OrleansYes0.11.2
Acadia CountyNo2.2-1.4
Allen CountyNo2.91.3
Ascension CountyNo0.82.6
Assumption CountyNo3.1-1.9
Avoyelles CountyNo2.2-1.6
Beauregard CountyNo1.80.3
Bienville CountyNo1.6-1.2
Bossier CountyNo1.53.3
Caddo CountyNo-0.52
Caldwell CountyNo2-1.1
Cameron CountyNo2.70.7
Catahoula CountyNo1.2-1.1
Claiborne CountyNo1.50.8
Concordia CountyNo1.1-0.9
De Soto CountyNo2.11.2
East Baton Rouge CountyNo0.63.2
East Carroll CountyNo0.50
East Feliciana CountyNo2.21.4
Evangeline CountyNo2.1-1.3
Franklin CountyNo0.60
Grant CountyNo2.4-1.1
Iberia CountyNo0.60.7
Iberville CountyNo1.61
Jackson CountyNo1.40.6
Jefferson CountyNo1.50
Jefferson Davis CountyNo0.63
Lafayette CountyNo1.33.7
Lafourche CountyNo2.61.1
Lincoln CountyNo11.1
Livingston CountyNo0.42.1
Madison CountyNo0.6-1.2
Morehouse CountyNo1.4-0.8
Natchitoches CountyNo2.6-1.3
Ouachita CountyNo0.31.6
Plaquemines CountyNo20.7
Pointe Coupee CountyNo2.9-2.7
Rapides CountyNo0.40.9
Red River CountyNo4.3-4
Richland CountyNo10.5
Sabine CountyNo2.31.1
St. Bernard CountyNo1.43.5
St. Charles CountyNo0.51.7
St. Helena CountyNo2.2-1.9
St. James CountyNo2.11.4
St. John the Baptist CountyNo-1.32.3
St. Landry CountyNo1.30.8
St. Martin CountyNo1.80.9
St. Mary CountyNo1.10.4
St. Tammany CountyNo24.7
Tangipahoa CountyNo0.80.6
Tensas CountyNo0.5-0.2
Terrebonne CountyNo1.60.1
Union CountyNo1.9-1
Vermilion CountyNo20.6
Vernon CountyNo0.70.8
Washington CountyNo0.80
Webster CountyNo1.3-0.6
West Baton Rouge CountyNo01.6
West Carroll CountyNo2-1
West Feliciana CountyNo3.22.1
Winn CountyNo1.9-1

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