Sep 1, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Zuckerberg, Chan invest $300 million in election infrastructure

Mike Allen

Photo; Ian Tuttle/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize via Getty Images

Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg are putting up $300 million to promote "safe and reliable voting in states and localities" amid the pandemic, the Center for Tech and Civic Life and Center for Election Innovation & Research will announce Tuesday.

What they're saying: "The more I've focused on this election, the more important I've felt it is both to make sure local counties and states have the resources they need to handle these unprecedented conditions, and that people are aware that the infrastructure is in place to make every vote count so they can accept the result of the election as legitimate," Zuckerberg told Axios.

In the joint release, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) said: "This grant will be of tremendous assistance as we work to get the word out to voters."
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) said Americans need voting information "from trusted sources, and these dollars are going to go a long way to making that happen."

The Facebook CEO and his wife committed $250 million to CTCL, which will use the money to help local jurisdictions with staffing, training and equipment.

Chan and Zuckerberg committed $50 million to CEIR, which focuses on voter education, to assist state and local election officials in making sure elections are secure, and voters have confidence in the outcomes.

Read the release.

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Scoop: Zuckerberg, Chan invest $300 million in election infrastructure

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