Waukesha Times

The Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), a nonprofit group, is supporting election offices in several states by providing financial aid for mail-in and absentee ballots; however, certain cities have not approved of or accepted the money from the group. 

Sarah Spaeth, chief of staff for Waukesha County Board Office explained the county's response to CTCL's actions. 

"The county board has not reviewed or approved any ordinances to accept money from the Center for Tech and Civic Life," Spaeth told Waukesha County Times. 

Waukesha's response comes after the mayors of five of Wisconsin's largest cities accepted $6.3 million in grants from CTCL for the Wisconsin Safe Voting Plan. 

Spectrum News 1 reported in July that Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine and Kenosha applied for the grants from CTCL. 

Within the Wisconsin Safe Voting Plan, CTCL facilitates several modified operations that are allegedly aimed at improving voters and poll workers' safety. 

The program prepares municipalities to hold safe elections through financial investments in voting locations, crating drive-thru balloting and drop-box locations, finding poll workers and providing personal protection equipment for those workers, Spectrum News 1 reported in July. 

Milwaukee's mayor, Tom Barrett, is grateful for the funding and infrastructure offered by CTCL. 

"These resources will help us address these problems, and I thank the Center for Tech and Civic Life for making these important and wise investments," Barrett told Spectrum News 1.

While not much is known about CTCL's operations, they are a Chicago-based center-left "election reform advocacy group," according to Influence Watch. 

Influence Watch has reported that CTCL's board of directors have strong connections to Democratic political activities. 

CTCL's relationship with local election agencies is not entirely clear. Still, it has made donations in numerous communities and Waukesha County Times believes they are making donations to cities and counties in Florida, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.