A politician from the US justifies his opposition to certifying the 2020 election by citing the funds Mark Zuckerberg provided to elections in Wisconsin

Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor of Wisconsin, said Wednesday, October 21, 2026, during an election debate in Milwaukee that he opposed certifying the 2020 presidential election result because of private funding provided to organize the election.

The Republican cited the so-called “Zuckerbucks,” funds awarded by the Center for Tech and Civic Life, an organization funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. More than 200 communities in Wisconsin received approximately $10 million to organize the election during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tiffany also criticized the decision by officials in Milwaukee and Dane to allow voters who declared themselves “indefinitely confined to their homes” to vote by mail without presenting photo identification. He thus supported Donald Trump’s attempts to challenge his 2020 defeat and voted against counting the electoral votes from Pennsylvania and Arizona.

His Democratic opponent, David Crowley, said the explanation was insufficient and questioned Tiffany’s ability to certify the 2028 presidential election. The Republican replied that he would certify the result regardless of the winner.

In 2024, Wisconsin adopted a constitutional amendment banning the use of private funds to organize elections. Trump lost the 2020 election in the state by a very narrow margin, after winning it in 2016.