The FaceBook CEO infamously donated $350 million towards the 2020 election through an organization called the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL). Over $750,000 made its way to Idaho. The counties that applied for and received this money are shown below.
Senator Souza sponsored a bill (S1168) which subsequently prohibited any further such contributions. Since the bulk of this money went to Ada County, Election Integrity Idaho asked and received an itemized accounting of what Ada County did with the funds. Here it is:
Temporary Election Worker Staffing
- $115,319.63 for staffing
Election Administration Equipment
- $117,308 in ballot printing
- $48,800 for 8 additional precinct scanners
- $674.35 for Air Ballot Print Drums
- $4,383 for Air Ballot Toner
- $528 for extra vDrives for precinct scanners
- $650 for shipping and handling of HART scanners
- $4,347.55 for warehouse conveyor belts
Absentee Voting Equipment or Supplies
- $28,200 in BlueCrest ballot sorting machine supplies
- $4,600 in licenses to stream warehouse cameras 24/7, legislative requirement to open absentees early
- $1,314.50 for back-up letter opener
- $30,000 for 4 additional central scanners to scan absentees
- $47,875 for hardware and software relating to additional absentee scanners
Non-Partisan Voter Education
- $21,964.92 postage for mailing informational postcards
- $32,155.30 for Note How to Vote postcard printing
- $2,149.95 for Note How to Vote Drop #2 postcard printing
- $1,494 for postage on #2 postcard
Polling Place Rental and Cleaning Expenses
- $4,200 for extra cleaning at the elections warehouse
- $10,580 to rent space from the State of Idaho at the HP campus for training and phone bank with social distancing
Personal Protective Equipment
- $2,000 for hexagon voting pencils, disposable, to be used at polling places
- $2,021.18 for PPE totes from Uline to be used at polling places
- $1,650 for voting directional signs from Idaho Screen Print
- $685 for printing COVID posters for polling places
Dedicated COVID Positive Voting Location
- $4000 to pay 8 firefighters to run COVID positive polling place @$500/person
- $3061.42 for EZ up tents