In a recent development, the fight against foreign nationals voting in U.S. elections, the influence of external funding in election administration, and the Biden-Harris administration's attempt to control elections has taken a significant step forward, as per a new report.
This report, titled "Make Voting Great Again," was first provided to The Daily Signal and outlines the legislative and investigative efforts of the House Election Integrity Caucus. The report is credited to Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., the founder and co-chair of the caucus.
According to WND, the Election Integrity Caucus has been diligently working to introduce legislation such as the End Zuckerbucks Act, which aims to prevent partisan, private funding of elections, and the Promoting Free and Fair Elections Act, which prohibits Biden's federal agencies from engaging in partisan voter operations at taxpayers' expense. "As we head into the 2024 election, let's Make Voting Great Again and restore faith and transparency in our electoral process," Tenney stated on Monday.
The Election Integrity Caucus, co-chaired by Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., consists exclusively of Republican members. Tenney has noted that election-related issues have become more prominent in recent years. "Problems surrounding the integrity of our country's elections have rightfully come to the forefront, driven by growing concerns over issues such as voter fraud, cybersecurity threats, and burdensome administrative challenges," Tenney said. She further emphasized the urgent need for robust measures to protect the electoral process, given the declining confidence of many Americans in the integrity of our elections.
The report outlines the three primary objectives of the House Election Integrity Caucus: to educate and inform other House members and the American public, to restore faith in the democratic process, and to improve election administration. Tenney sponsored the End Zuckerbucks Act to deter private interests from funding election administration. This term "Zuckerbucks" refers to the over $400 million in grants donated by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife for election administration in 2020.
The majority of this donation was distributed by the left-leaning Center for Tech and Civic Life, which primarily funded left-leaning voting districts in Ohio, Nevada, Minnesota, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, as per the House report. Zuckerberg claimed that the purpose of these funds was to assist local election offices during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the House caucus concluded that less than 1% of these funds were spent on personal protective equipment or other safety measures at voting sites, and 92% of the funds went to left-leaning districts.
In May, the House Ways and Means Committee approved the End Zuckerbucks Act, which seeks to amend the tax code to prevent tax-exempt organizations from funding the administration of elections. However, the bill has yet to be voted on in the House and faces significant challenges in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Despite Zuckerberg's claim that he would not donate again to election administration, the Center for Tech and Civic Life has established a separate initiative, the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, which has distributed millions of dollars to local election offices.
Tenney also cosponsored the SAVE Act, which would require states to obtain documentary proof of U.S. citizenship before allowing someone to register to vote in a federal election. Additionally, she cosponsored the Promoting Free and Fair Elections Act, which would defund President Joe Biden's executive order that directed federal agencies to maximize voter registration and turnout. Critics have dubbed this executive order as "Bidenbucks" to be spent on elections.
The report also highlights the caucus' investigation and findings regarding the 2022 midterm elections. Some states have enacted election reforms that expanded voter ID to mail-in voting and restricted private funding of public election offices. Other states have made election changes during the pandemic permanent. Despite criticism of Georgia's recent election reforms, the report argues that the state saw "historic early turnout and increased voter confidence."
The report also praises Florida for running elections with strong turnout and timely reporting, even amid two hurricanes, Ian and Nicole. However, Tenney criticizes her home state of New York, citing lax verification of absentee ballot requests that underscore the need for stricter safeguards to prevent third-party interference and ensure voter consent.
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