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In 2020, Joe Biden secured 33% of 17,005 votes, compared to the 33% earned by Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Support for Trump increased in Amherst 16.1% in 2020.
Amherst was one of 38 Virginia 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.
Democrat support across Virginia areas that received funding from the CTCL rose 17.9% in 2020 from 2016.
Such support rose 63.3% in Virginia areas that didn’t receive any funding from the CTCL.
The Republican Party earned 16.1% more votes in Virginia districts assisted by the CTCL, compared to 32.2% in counties without similar funding.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | Yes | 9.5 | 15.7 |
| Amherst | Yes | 13.6 | 12.2 |
| Appomattox | Yes | 17.3 | 19.5 |
| Arlington | Yes | 10.6 | 14.5 |
| Buchanan | Yes | 13.9 | -7.8 |
| Carroll | Yes | 18.7 | 11.1 |
| Charles City | Yes | 19.3 | 5.1 |
| Charlotte | Yes | 9.7 | 7.5 |
| Craig | Yes | 18.5 | 8.5 |
| Culpeper | Yes | 19.9 | 36.8 |
| Dickenson | Yes | 16.5 | 12.6 |
| Emporia | Yes | -4.4 | 5.4 |
| City of Fairfax | Yes | 8.2 | 24.5 |
| Fairfax | Yes | 6.8 | 18.2 |
| Floyd | Yes | 17.6 | 30.6 |
| Franklin | Yes | 4.6 | 0.2 |
| Giles | Yes | 16.3 | 10.6 |
| Halifax | Yes | 7.4 | 11.1 |
| Henrico | Yes | 6 | 24.1 |
| James City | Yes | 8.7 | 33.8 |
| Lancaster | Yes | 4.9 | 17.4 |
| Loudoun | Yes | 17.4 | 37.3 |
| Louisa | Yes | 26.3 | 33.1 |
| Lunenburg | Yes | 10.4 | 8.6 |
| Lynchburg | Yes | -4.9 | 22 |
| Madison | Yes | 19.9 | 22.5 |
| Manassas | Yes | 5.1 | 22.9 |
| Mecklenburg | Yes | 11.8 | 8.2 |
| Nelson | Yes | 15.8 | 17.3 |
| New Kent | Yes | 18.6 | 30.3 |
| Nottoway | Yes | 8.5 | 5 |
| Petersburg | Yes | 9.2 | 3.1 |
| Pittsylvania | Yes | 10.2 | 10 |
| Powhatan | Yes | 18.3 | 31 |
| Prince William | Yes | 13.2 | 26.3 |
| Smyth | Yes | 311.4 | -69.1 |
| Washington | Yes | 290.4 | -65.8 |
| Wythe | Yes | 323.6 | -68.7 |
| Accomack County | No | 6.9 | 12.4 |
| Albemarle County | No | 8 | 27.4 |
| Alexandria County | No | -57.8 | -96.4 |
| Alleghany County | No | 198.4 | 2,958.2 |
| Amelia County | No | 24.4 | 5.4 |
| Augusta County | No | -14.7 | 1,188.3 |
| Bath County | No | 1,884.1 | 1,697.7 |
| Bedford County | No | -94 | -93.4 |
| Bland County | No | 1,283.6 | 2,587.9 |
| Botetourt County | No | -78.3 | -88.2 |
| Bristol County | No | 160.7 | 1,586.5 |
| Brunswick County | No | 395.7 | 27.2 |
| Buckingham County | No | -15 | 45.5 |
| Buena Vista County | No | 882.9 | 667.7 |
| Campbell County | No | -57.5 | -76.2 |
| Caroline County | No | -36.4 | -46 |
| Charles County | No | 1,339.4 | 223.3 |
| Charlottesville County | No | 49.8 | -72.2 |
| Chesapeake County | No | -81.3 | -86.5 |
| Chesterfield County | No | -85.1 | -96.5 |
| Clarke County | No | -62.2 | -14 |
| Colonial Heights County | No | 1,329.7 | 5,935.6 |
| Covington County | No | 799 | 438.8 |
| Cumberland County | No | 2,057.2 | 3,160.2 |
| Danville County | No | -61.9 | -69.6 |
| Dinwiddie County | No | -30.3 | -32 |
| Emporia County | No | 256.4 | 37 |
| Essex County | No | 126.1 | 16.9 |
| Falls Church County | No | 92.4 | -74 |
| Fauquier County | No | -88.5 | -95.5 |
| Fluvanna County | No | -57 | -61.3 |
| Franklin County | No | 15.2 | 293.6 |
| Frederick County | No | -78 | -87.4 |
| Fredericksburg County | No | 815.3 | 225 |
| Galax County | No | 404.6 | 500 |
| Gloucester County | No | -94.2 | -70.2 |
| Goochland County | No | -63.3 | -37.9 |
| Grayson County | No | -28.3 | 552 |
| Greene County | No | 2,732.6 | 14,261.9 |
| Greensville County | No | -14.2 | 179.4 |
| Hampton County | No | 69.5 | -69.4 |
| Hanover County | No | -84.3 | -84.5 |
| Harrisonburg County | No | 74.6 | -76.8 |
| Henry County | No | -90.2 | -69.2 |
| Highland County | No | 2,081.1 | 2,159 |
| Hopewell County | No | 97.8 | 9 |
| Isle of Wight County | No | 150.4 | 118.3 |
| James County | No | -81.1 | -55.4 |
| King and Queen County | No | -12.4 | -47.1 |
| King George County | No | -6.3 | -46.2 |
| King William County | No | 149 | 152.3 |
| Lee County | No | -13.4 | -5.7 |
| Lexington County | No | 1,083.2 | 11.8 |
| Lynchburg County | No | -8.4 | -53.8 |
| Manassas County | No | 84.2 | -64.3 |
| Manassas Park County | No | 230.6 | 23.9 |
| Martinsville County | No | 1,733.9 | 871 |
| Mathews County | No | 1,160.1 | 1,519.1 |
| Middlesex County | No | 1,628.6 | 5,430 |
| Montgomery County | No | -14.1 | -54.4 |
| Newport News County | No | 47.8 | -11.8 |
| Norfolk County | No | -73.6 | -87.8 |
| Northampton County | No | 410.3 | 188.8 |
| Northumberland County | No | 438.2 | 796 |
| Norton County | No | 1,866.9 | 7,387.2 |
| Orange County | No | -19.7 | -9.3 |
| Page County | No | -6.5 | 29.7 |
| Patrick County | No | -42.7 | 90.5 |
| Petersburg County | No | 39.6 | -80.1 |
| Poquoson County | No | -56.4 | 76.6 |
| Portsmouth County | No | 30.8 | -88.8 |
| Prince Edward County | No | 1,901.7 | 2,914 |
| Prince George County | No | 45.2 | 28.8 |
| Pulaski County | No | 65.6 | 332.6 |
| Radford County | No | 3,883.6 | 3,913.4 |
| Rappahannock County | No | 108.7 | 54.4 |
| Richmond County | No | 14.2 | -79.5 |
| Roanoke County | No | -48.8 | -73.1 |
| Rockbridge County | No | -67.6 | 7.4 |
| Rockingham County | No | -85 | -80.5 |
| Russell County | No | -2.7 | 192 |
| Salem County | No | -23.8 | 18.1 |
| Scott County | No | -49.1 | 57.6 |
| Shenandoah County | No | 46.4 | 340.3 |
| Southampton County | No | 91.3 | 28.5 |
| Spotsylvania County | No | -23.8 | 119.4 |
| Stafford County | No | -30.8 | 130.9 |
| Staunton County | No | 3.6 | -15.6 |
| Suffolk County | No | -89.1 | -79.4 |
| Surry County | No | 62.5 | 61.4 |
| Sussex County | No | 118.2 | 13 |
| Tazewell County | No | -92.7 | -84 |
| Virginia Beach County | No | -94.7 | -92.7 |
| Warren County | No | -65.8 | -42.5 |
| Waynesboro County | No | 178.4 | -17.4 |
| Westmoreland County | No | 110.1 | -21.6 |
| Williamsburg County | No | 509.5 | -39.6 |
| Winchester County | No | 322.6 | 242.4 |
| Wise County | No | -38.1 | -27.7 |
| York County | No | 26.1 | -22.2 |
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