Georgia Lawmakers Approve Ban on “Zuckerbucks”

Georgia lawmakers signed off on legislation banning counties from soliciting or accepting donations to help administer elections.Senate Bill 222, a so-called “Zucker bucks” ban, specifies that public funds must pay for election administration costs. It also prohibits government employees and elections officials from receiving gifts valued at more than $500 from third-party groups to conduct primaries or elections.
The legislation makes it a felony for election officials to accept gifts. However, it does not apply to accepting the use of a location for voting.
Critics have pointed to a $2 million grant the U.S Alliance for Election Excellence awarded DeKalb County. The Center for Tech and Civic Life, which has benefited from donations from Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, helped launch the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence as part of an …