Clark County, Nevada, received a staggering $3 million in election-related grants in 2023 and 2024—more than any other jurisdiction in the country. Now, the same group that provided these funds is inviting all counties to apply for new grants in 2025, with applications due by March 31. This push for expanded funding is raising serious concerns about outside influence on local elections.
Who’s Behind the Money?
The funding comes through the so-called “Center for Election Excellence” program, which claims to support local election offices with resources, coaching, and implementation support. But a closer look reveals troubling connections.
One major backer of this initiative is The Audacious Project, a TED initiative with links to left-wing funding sources. The program also references research from the Democracy Fund, an organization that promotes progressive election policies. Given these connections, it’s fair to ask: Is this really about helping local election officials, or is it about expanding liberal control over the election process?
Spreading Influence to Rural Counties
Clark County has been the biggest beneficiary so far, receiving $1 million in 2023 and another $2 million in 2024. But the push for 2025 aims to extend this funding to all 17 counties in Nevada, including the state’s rural areas. This fits into a broader strategy we’ve seen from the left—expanding influence beyond urban strongholds and into rural communities that traditionally lean conservative.
Grant amounts are determined by jurisdiction size. According to program guidelines:
- Counties with over 1 million voters get $3 million
- 250,001 to 1 million voters get $2 million
- 100,001 to 250,000 voters get $1.5 million
- 25,001 to 100,000 voters get $500,000
- 5,001 to 25,000 voters get $125,000
- Counties with fewer than 5,000 voters get $50,000
This tiered approach means even the smallest counties could soon be entangled in this left-wing election program.
Federal Agencies Are Watching
Adding to the concerns, Nevada has an Election Integrity Task Force that includes members from the FBI and CISA (the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency). While these agencies claim to protect election security, we’ve seen in recent years how government agencies have been weaponized against conservatives. Is this task force there to ensure election integrity—or to silence critics of these controversial funding sources?
The Problem with Outside Election Funding
The idea of private money influencing election administration has been controversial for years. In 2020, Mark Zuckerberg funneled over $400 million into local election offices through the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), a group with clear ties to the left. Many of these funds disproportionately benefited Democratic strongholds. That kind of outside money shaped election procedures in ways that many believe unfairly benefited one political party.
Now, we’re seeing a similar pattern with this so-called “Alliance for Election Excellence” program, funded by CTCL. Once again, private, left-leaning organizations are stepping in to fund elections, bypassing state legislatures and local officials who are supposed to oversee the process.
Maybe the Nevada state legislature should consider banning outside grants from private entities to local government agencies, as other states have done in the last few years?
What Critics Say
Supporters of the program argue that it provides much-needed funding to election offices that are under-resourced. They claim that these grants help make elections more secure, accessible, and efficient. But if that were really the case, why is the funding tied to organizations that push progressive election policies? Why does it seem to target key swing areas like Nevada? And why aren’t conservatives being given equal input in how these funds are allocated?
The Bottom Line
This is about more than just funding. It’s about control. When left-leaning organizations pump millions into election offices, they gain influence over how those elections are run. With Nevada already a battleground state, conservatives should be deeply concerned about outside groups manipulating the process under the guise of “election excellence.”
With 2025 funding applications now open, expect more of this money to flow into counties across the country. The question is: Will local officials accept the cash—and the strings that come with it?
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
