Mid Coast Today

In Damariscotta, where voting officials received funding from a Mark Zuckerberg-related organization, Democrat turnout increased 27.8% from 2016 to 2020, while Republican turnout increased by only 2%.

In 2020, Joe Biden secured 67% of 1,458 votes, compared to the 59% 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 Maine, Democrat turnout rose 19.3% in areas which received the funding, while unchanged in areas which did not.

The Republican Party earned 6.7% more votes in Maine districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 100% in jurisdictions without similar funding.

Support for Trump increased in Damariscotta 4% in 2020.

There were 167 more votes cast in Damariscotta in the 2020 election than in 2016.

Damariscotta was one of 208 Maine 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
Albion	Yes	1.9	2.3
Alfred	Yes	1.4	4.5
Alna	Yes	-4.5	5.3
Alton	Yes	2.7	2.5
Amherst	Yes	1.8	0.2
Andover	Yes	0.7	4.1
Anson	Yes	3	0.8
Ashland	Yes	3.2	2.8
Auburn	Yes	2.3	6.8
Augusta	Yes	0.5	4
Bangor	Yes	1.9	5.1
Bath	Yes	-4.2	7.7
Belfast	Yes	2.7	6
Belgrade	Yes	0.6	3.5
Benton	Yes	4.3	1
Berwick	Yes	2.9	6.1
Biddeford	Yes	-4.5	7.7
Bingham	Yes	1.6	0
Blue Hill	Yes	0.4	4.3
Boothbay Harbor	Yes	1.2	4.2
Boothbay	Yes	3	6.9
Bowdoinham	Yes	2.8	6.3
Bradford	Yes	3.3	0.8
Bradley	Yes	3.1	0.6
Brewer	Yes	-2.1	5.6
Bristol	Yes	4.8	7.8
Brooksville	Yes	1.4	0.4
Brownfield	Yes	3.7	7.9
Brownville	Yes	3.1	0.2
Brunswick	Yes	2.6	5.7
Buckfield	Yes	0.5	4.7
Bucksport	Yes	0.6	4.1
Burlington	Yes	1.6	4.7
Buxton	Yes	2.9	5.7
Canaan	Yes	5.8	0.2
Caribou	Yes	2.8	1.8
Carmel	Yes	1.4	2.2
Casco	Yes	2.7	5.4
Castine	Yes	-8.3	12.7
Charleston	Yes	0.7	1.7
Chelsea	Yes	0.2	3.1
Chesterville	Yes	5.3	0.8
China	Yes	1.5	5
Clifton	Yes	2.3	1.1
Columbia Falls	Yes	5.2	7.1
Cornish	Yes	1.6	4.5
Crystal	Yes	3.7	1.3
Cushing	Yes	2.4	0.4
Damariscotta	Yes	3.4	7.8
Dayton	Yes	0.2	3.7
Dedham	Yes	1.2	4.3
Deer Isle	Yes	0.6	3.5
Denmark	Yes	6.1	9.1
Dennysville	Yes	1.4	9.1
Dexter	Yes	3.2	1
Dixfield	Yes	8	5.3
Dover-Foxcroft	Yes	2.8	0.8
Dresden	Yes	0.2	3.4
Durham	Yes	2.4	6
East Millinocket	Yes	5.2	-2.2
Eddington	Yes	2.9	1
Eliot	Yes	2.8	6.3
Ellsworth	Yes	1.1	4.4
Enfield	Yes	6	0.1
Eustis	Yes	1.8	4.9
Fairfield	Yes	0.7	3.7
Farmingdale	Yes	1.9	5.3
Farmington	Yes	0.2	4.7
Fayette	Yes	1.8	1.6
Fort Fairfield	Yes	3.6	0.7
Fort Kent	Yes	3	0.4
Freeport	Yes	3.3	6.5
Frenchville	Yes	8	-5
Fryeburg	Yes	2.2	8.3
Georgetown	Yes	4.1	6.6
Gorham	Yes	2.8	6
Gray	Yes	3.1	6.7
Greene	Yes	2.1	2.6
Guilford	Yes	3.4	0.5
Hallowell	Yes	1.1	1.9
Hampden	Yes	2.1	5.8
Hancock	Yes	0.6	4.8
Harpswell	Yes	2.6	5.3
Harrison	Yes	2.7	7.4
Hermon	Yes	1.4	4.7
Hiram	Yes	18.9	34.7
Hollis	Yes	0.3	3.6
Hope	Yes	1.8	5.2
Houlton	Yes	0.9	3
Howland	Yes	2.9	-2.7
Industry	Yes	0.6	5.2
Island Falls	Yes	4.6	2
Islesboro	Yes	0.6	2.9
Jay	Yes	4.1	0.1
Kenduskeag	Yes	1.8	3
Kennebunk	Yes	3.8	7.2
Kennebunkport	Yes	4.5	7.9
Kittery	Yes	3.3	6.3
Lamoine	Yes	0.9	5.8
Lebanon	Yes	1.3	4.5
Lee	Yes	-0.9	0.9
Leeds	Yes	0	4
Levant	Yes	2	0.9
Lewiston	Yes	-2.3	6.2
Limington	Yes	0	2.9
Lincoln	Yes	2.9	6.7
Lisbon	Yes	3	6.5
Litchfield	Yes	0.3	3.8
Livermore Falls	Yes	6.7	-0.1
Livermore	Yes	0.1	3.5
Long Island	Yes	3.1	5.1
Lowell	Yes	6.1	-5.5
Lyman	Yes	0.2	3.2
Madawaska	Yes	4.9	-1.1
Madison	Yes	1.6	1.9
Mars Hill	Yes	-0.8	4
Mechanic Falls	Yes	1	4.4
Medway	Yes	2.5	0.9
Mercer	Yes	3.3	1
Millinocket	Yes	1.6	2
Minot	Yes	1.2	5.3
Monmouth	Yes	0.3	4.9
Montville	Yes	-4.8	6.3
New Gloucester	Yes	2.9	5.8
New Sharon	Yes	0.7	6.2
New Sweden	Yes	-3.5	-1.4
Newburgh	Yes	1	1.2
Newcastle	Yes	1.5	3.6
Newfield	Yes	0.1	3.7
Nobleboro	Yes	3.7	6.6
Norridgewock	Yes	2.4	0.7
North Berwick	Yes	1.4	4.9
North Yarmouth	Yes	1.6	4.7
Norway	Yes	3.6	7.9
Oakland	Yes	1	4.3
Old Orchard Beach	Yes	1.6	4.6
Orono	Yes	-4.1	7.6
Orrington	Yes	1.4	5.3
Owls Head	Yes	1.8	3.7
Oxford	Yes	3.2	2.2
Pittsfield	Yes	0.1	4.6
Pittston	Yes	1.1	3.7
Poland	Yes	0.9	3.7
Porter	Yes	0.9	3.3
Portland	Yes	-2.7	4.8
Presque Isle	Yes	3.5	1.5
Prospect	Yes	1.3	1
Randolph	Yes	3	1.6
Rangeley	Yes	5.6	-39.6
Raymond	Yes	3.3	4.8
Readfield	Yes	1.6	3.4
Rockland	Yes	0.9	4
Rome	Yes	3.6	0.3
Sabattus	Yes	0.7	4.4
Saco	Yes	2.9	6
Sanford	Yes	0.7	-43.6
Scarborough	Yes	4.9	7.8
Searsmont	Yes	3.6	0.5
Sedgwick	Yes	1.7	5.7
Shapleigh	Yes	0.2	4.2
Sherman	Yes	0.6	-21.1
Sidney	Yes	1.4	-35.4
Skowhegan	Yes	1.2	2.5
Smithfield	Yes	1.4	2.2
Solon	Yes	3.6	1.5
Somerville	Yes	0.1	6.2
South Portland	Yes	-3.9	6.2
South Thomaston	Yes	3.2	6.9
Southport	Yes	-7.8	9.9
St. George	Yes	1.9	3.6
Stacyville	Yes	1.3	0.6
Standish	Yes	3	6.5
Starks	Yes	5.5	-36.9
Steuben	Yes	0.8	4
Stockholm	Yes	12.4	8.7
Stockton Springs	Yes	0.8	3.9
Stonington	Yes	1.8	4.8
Sumner	Yes	1.7	1.7
Thomaston	Yes	-0	-2.9
Topsham	Yes	3.3	7.2
Turner	Yes	1.6	4.5
Union	Yes	0.1	2.6
Van Buren	Yes	4.1	-1.5
Vassalboro	Yes	1.2	4.4
Veazie	Yes	1	2.3
Wade	Yes	-3.4	9.8
Waldoboro	Yes	1.1	2
Wales	Yes	0.9	4.9
Warren	Yes	0.7	4.2
Washburn	Yes	4.6	-0.7
Washington	Yes	2.2	5.9
Waterville	Yes	0.9	4.8
West Bath	Yes	2	4.9
West Paris	Yes	1.7	3.9
Westbrook	Yes	5.1	8.7
Westport Island	Yes	2.4	6.3
Whitefield	Yes	0.9	2.5
Wilton	Yes	0.9	3.7
Windham	Yes	3.4	6.7
Windsor	Yes	1.3	2.6
Winslow	Yes	0.7	3.5
Winterville plantation	Yes	-3.3	-0.3
Wiscasset	Yes	-5.9	8.2
Woodland	Yes	2.6	1.2
Woodstock	Yes	2.1	2.1
Woolwich	Yes	1.6	6.1
Yarmouth	Yes	-4.8	7.9