Zucked up: private election funding’s new form

[Geee]

The Spectator

Greenwich, Connecticut, is a town of 63,000 people just twenty-eight miles away from New York City. It’s a wealthy community with a median household income of $127,123 and the average home value over $1.2 million.Greenwich, Connecticut, is a town of 63,000 people just twenty-eight miles away from New York City. It’s a wealthy community with a median house- hold income of $127,123 and the average home value over $1.2 million.

The well-manicured lawns and eight-car garages may be caricatures of country club Republicanism, but don’t be fooled. Democratic financier Ned Lamont launched his political career here en route to becoming governor. In 2020, Joe Biden received 61 percent of the vote — the formerly reliable GOP town has gone fully blue in the past two presidential cycles.

With a well-funded election center, the Greenwich County registrars have, year over year, returned money to town coffers. In 2021, the election office had $22,169 left over from its budget, and in 2020 the registrars returned $93,686, according to Republican former state representative Kimberly Fiorello.

Yet without even asking for it, Greenwich was offered a grant worth $500,000 from the US Alliance for Election Excellence. Formed in April 2022, the USAEE is an $80 million initiative created by the Center for Tech and Civic Life.