Noem Signs Bill Barring Donations For Election Costs

       South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has signed a bill barring state election officials from accepting donations to help cover the operating costs of election.

      Noem took aim at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s $350-million dollars in donations in 2020 through the Center for Technology and Civic Life that helped officials across the country hold elections in the midst of the pandemic.

      Specifically, the money helped local election offices collect and count ballots but those supporting former President Donald Trump’s claim of massive voter fraud suggest it was intended to aid the fraud

      Noem has joined former Trump and other conservatives in accusing Zuckerberg’s social media platform, now named Meta, of censoring right-wing voices. The platform says it acts only against misinformation and those who repeated spread it. 

        The Center for Technology and Civic Life has said its grant program helped make the 2020 election the most secure in history while turnout soared even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.