CTCL Final

Alinsky-esque Collusion: CTCL & Democrat Precincts
BLUF: Ardent progressive and tech monopolist Mark Zuckerberg, through his Orwellian-sounding NGO The
Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTLC), has deployed nearly $20 million across the Midwest and over
$10 million in Philadelphia to ensure the mail-in voting scam proves fruitful.1 The tools provided to Philly
and other cities by CTLC include mail-in and absentee processing equipment, satellite election offices for in-
person mail-in voting, in person voting at polling places on election day, secure drop boxes, printing and
postage, at al. This in-kind donation to the Democrats is not only unprecedented but could be illegal.2
o Phill Kline, director of Thomas More's Amistad Society Project, testifies that of the top 20 CTCL grants,
amounting to $63 million, only one for $289,000 has gone to a county Trump won in 2016.3
Overall, Zuckerberg has dished out over $250 million4 to the Chicago-based CTLC, whose Founder and Executive
Director, Tiana Epps-Johnson, is an Obama Foundation Fellow.5
o Epps-Johnson also spent over 4 years in at the New Organizing Institute, a now-defunct progressive
grassroots organization based out of Washington D.C. with significant ties to the Obama White House.
Judith Freeman served as Executive Director from 2007-2012, taking leave to serve on the
Obama presidential campaign in 2008; as had former Obama For America (the Obama re-election
campaign) data director, Ethan Roeder.6
The institute has been e ible for training many of the Democratic Pa digital
organizers. 7
CTCL lists among its key donors and partners big tech firms and other left-wing/progressive
organizations, such as: Facebook, Google, and Rock the Vote.8
Of that aforementioned $250 million, at least $18.5 million made its way to States which have been called for
Joe Biden, or to key districts in the State of Pennsylvania.9
$10,016,074 made its way to the City of Philadelphia, $6.3 million was split among 5 Wisconsin cities; and
Delaware County, Pa received another $2.2 million.10
Also involved in the Philadelphia deal is Joseph Hill of lobbying firm Cozen O C Public Strategies, who
appears to introduce City officials to individuals who helped facilitate the deal.11
In a November 1st AP article regarding the Biden Cam aig efforts to increase turnout among black voters, Hill
was described as, a veteran Democrat operative-turned-lobbyist. 12
In the Cit s grant request to CTCL, Funding Request for Election Systems for November General Election,
Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Nick Custodio outlines a plan for the installation of at least 15 secure, 24-
hour drop boxes at each early vote location. 13 Custodio himself acknowledges that each box needs 24-hour
video sur eillance, and proposes $250,000 be allocated for securit needs. 14
We believe that in the interest of transparency and the integrity of our electoral system, that any and all
footage associated with these surveillance systems be made available to those who wish to ensure that: 1) ballot
harvesting had not occurred; 2) that these drop boxes did not remain open past 8pm on election night; and 3)
that other activities to undermine the integrity of our electoral process had not occurred.
Along with handing out CCP propaganda booklets to his Facebook subordinates15, Zuckerberg shares common cause
with President T m enemies. Take, for example, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping. Both Zuck and Xi want Mr.
Trump to lose. The ll do anything for that to happen. Zuckerberg wants to maintain his illegal tech monopoly and Xi
would rather deal with an osteoporotic sellout, Joe Biden. CTCL is a vehicle for Z ck illegal election interference.
1
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/memos-show-zuckerberg-money-used-massively-grow-vote-democrat-stronghold
2
https://thetexan.news/federal-lawsuit-filed-over-zuckerberg-grants-for-texas-elections/
3
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/memos-show-zuckerberg-money-used-massively-grow-vote-democrat-stronghold
4
https://www.axios.com/mark-zuckerberg-priscilla-chan-election-security-a4950a93-2efd-42a6-9d7a-5fcc763f9214.html
5
https://www.techandciviclife.org/team/tiana-epps-johnson/
6
http://techpresident.com/news/23347/new-organizing-institute-changes-leadership
7
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/evanmcsan/new-organizing-institute-implodes#.wf5bWyK7d
8
https://www.techandciviclife.org/key-funders-and-partners/
9
Philadelphia CTCL Grant Plan, p. 41,45.
10
Ibid.
11
Ibid., p. 52-53.
12
https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-elections-1582b61d263b84f860f9e82b58d7c773
13
Philadelphia CTCL Grant Plan, p. 5.
14
Ibid.
15
https://qz.com/308023/facebook-is-making-employees-read-chinese-propaganda-to-impress-beijing/
To: Center for Technology and Civic Life
From: Nick Custodio, Deputy Commissioner
Date: August 6, 2020
Re: Funding Request for Election Systems for November General Election
Overview
The City of Philadelphia faces significant challenges in executing the November 3, 2020 general
election. As the June 2 primary revealed, in November the city will essentially have to run two
elections, at the same time, on an unprecedented scale: one via absentee and mail-in ballots;
and a second at in-person polling places. The number of total ballots cast is expected to be
between 730,000 and 800,000, potentially split between the two modes of voting, which will
each entail special challenges.
This document offers an assessment of resources needed for Philadelphia to safely and
thoroughly prepare for the general election. In addition to projecting needs based on the
unique June 2 primary, turnout from past presidential elections, and the continued risks of
COVID-19, this plan capitalizes on new voting procedures authorized by Act 77 of 20191 that
should help ensure the election is safe, secure and accessible for every eligible Philadelphia
voter.
In these extraordinary circumstances, to deliver a smooth voting process and a satisfactory

voting experience for Philadelphia’s 1.1 million voters will require a concerted and collaborative
effort. Accordingly, we have convened a working group consisting of my office, the Mayor’s
Office, the Governor’s Office, other relevant public entities, and advocacy groups to work
through challenges regarding implementation. Meeting this challenge will also require
additional resources to the City of Philadelphia for election implementation.
A preliminary budget overview estimate on top of what is already available to the City is as
follows:
Mail-in and Absentee and Processing Equipment $5,500,554

Satellite Election Offices for in-person mail-in voting $2,272,220
In-person Voting at Polling Places on Election Day $1,321,300
Secure Dropboxes and related needs $552,000
Printing and Postage and related needs $370,000
Total $10,016,074
1
Act of Oct. 31, 2019, P.L. 552, No. 77.
Phila0001
Needs Assessment & Costs
The following sections outline initial details of the mailhouse-type processing operation,
installation of drop boxes, additional satellite election offices for early voting, personnel needs,
and the costs associated with each:
Mail-in and Absentee Equipment

Automation will be critical to efficiently and accurately manage hundreds of thousands of ballot
envelopes and ballots in the 2-4 weeks leading up to Election Day and in the canvassing process
afterwards and help report results faster. The following equipment is needed to relieve the 50+
staffers and extensive overtime that was utilized in the primary:
High-speed industrial Printer: Printer will be used to print mail-in and absentee ballots.
Currently, the City Commissioners’ six (6) networked printers can produce about 15,000
ballots a day, if running optimally. A high-speed industrial printer capable of 15,000 per
hour would greatly reduce the time between application approval and a voter’s ballot
entering the mail stream. This is particularly important around the application deadline
on the Tuesday before the election. Cost: $987,980
Specialized VBM Inserter: An inserter combines the contents of the ballot packet and
the prints addresses on the outgoing and return envelope. Ballot packs include multiple
items: the ballot, instructions, return declaration envelope with the voter’s information
printed on it, secrecy envelope, and plain English statements of the ballot questions. An
inserter rapidly folds the ballots and constructs the packets, guaranteeing the
appropriate ballot is inserted for a specific voter. The inserter also prints the voter’s
address on the outgoing envelope and the voter’s information on the return declaration
envelope, information which must include the voter’s name, address, ward-division,
and a barcode with the same information so that the automation of the sorting
equipment can read information. The inserter being requested is able to print on both
sides of the envelope and include an intelligent mail barcode (IMB). The double-sided
printing and applying the IBM all at once is important to increase accuracy, ensure the
voter receives the correct ballot packet and improves efficiency. Cost:$798,895; or for
two: $1,597,790, plus $69,500 for 2 high-speed folder.
Sorters automate the sorting of both outbound ballot packs for cheaper US Postal
Service rates and inbound ballot envelopes, decreasing mailing inefficiencies and delays
in opening and scanning returned ballots. The sorter also will do the voter history
update scan, which is a time-consuming process currently that takes dozens of
Commissioners’ staffers at least a week to complete. The scan would also allow for the
adjudication of declaration envelopes to be done electronically, which is significantly
faster than the current hand method. Lastly, it will sort the ballots into ward and
division order, a process that took 40 people several days to complete during the 2020
Primary. Cost:$488,592, or for two: $977,184
2
Phila0002
Extractors: Though the Commissioners had automatic letter openers in the primary,
they were not enough. The process of physically removing ballots from the envelopes
took too long and took staff away from other activities and created a backlog so that the
Commissioners’ were unable to keep their scanners constantly going. The extractors not
only cut open the ballot return and secrecy envelopes, but they also present the
contents for staff to remove and immediately replace with a fresh envelope. Discarded
envelopes are checked automatically to ensure their contents were removed. Twenty-
two extractors, eleven for working on each envelope, will eliminate the need for any
envelope opening by hand and open all anticipated ballots in three working days.
Estimated cost: ~$660,000
Ballot scanners: Philadelphia used four Election Systems and Software (ES&S) DS450
scanners in the primary election, each of which can scan up to 72 ballots per minute.
ES&S manufacturers another scanner (DS850) which can scan up to 300 ballots per
minute. With the additional equipment speeding up the ballot opening process,
additional scanners are needed to prevent a backlog. Philadelphia will seek to purchase
4 additional DS450s and 4 DS850s. Cost: $611,300.
Total cost Units Unit costs

Printer $987,980 1 $987,980
Inserter $1,597,790 2 $798,895
Sorter
$977,187 2 $488,592
Extractors $660,000 22 $30,000
Ballot
Scanners
– DS850
$411,500 4 $102,875
Ballot
Scanners
– DS450
$199,800 4 $49,950
Highspeed
Folder $69,500 2 $34,750
Space for
equipment $200,000 $2000,000
1 year
Additional Maintenance $334,137 1 $334,137
Ink $14,060 1 $14,060
Phila0003
Ballot Prep Software $48,600 1 $48,600
TOTAL $5,500,554
Satellite Election Offices and Ballot Drop-off Options

Act 77 of 2019 allows counties to set up multiple election offices where a voter can request an
absentee or mail-in ballot, then complete and return it in the same visit.2 A voter can go to any
satellite office and register to vote, if needed, request a mail-in ballot in-person, receive it, vote,
and return it all at the same location. In addition, voters could bring already voted ballots
making the satellite offices additional drop-off locations. Early voting satellite offices will be
open and fully staffed until the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot, thereafter through
Election Day they will remain open as ballot drop-off locations. They must also be sufficiently
staffed with permanent staff with hazard pay to limit worker turnover, handle a surge in voters
before polls open, and manage sites in a pandemic environment.
The City Commissioners already have two in-person mail-in voting locations set up at their
existing offices at City Hall and 520 N. Columbus Blvd, that are fully equipped to offer these
services. These two offices are both in the Center City Region. The City Commissioners would
like to open up 15 additional regional offices throughout the city. However, it will require a
notable investment in equipment, staff, real estate, and close collaboration with other city
departments. Satellite election offices must meet the following conditions according to PA
Department of State guidance:
Staffed by trained elections staff and in a municipal or county-owned or leased property

Connected to the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors (SURE) system for staff to
confirm voters’ registration record (via local county network or a VPN connection)
Ability to provide any ballot style used in the election (Philadelphia has nearly 60 in the
November 2020 general election)
Secure storage for completed ballots
Cost per additional satellite location is as follows:
Item Quantity Base Total

Onetime Voting Booths 4 $ 165 $ 660
Onetime Accessibility Voting Booths 1 $ 190 $ 190
Onetime Ballotar laptop and Oakie Printers 2 $ 10,810 $ 21,620
Recurring ES&S Ballotar Annual Software Fee 2 $ 880 $ 1,760
2
Pennsylvania Applications and Balloting Guidance: Mail-in and Absentee Ballots and Voter Registration Changes.
PA Department of State. January 10, 2020.
4
Phila0004
Recurring Clerk 1 2 $ 33,476 $ 66,952
Recurring Additional Regular OT 2 $ 12,400 $ 24,800
Recurring Additional Holiday OT 2 $ 438 $ 875.00
Onetime Temporary Employee 1 $ 6,000 $ 6,000
Onetime Temporary Employee - OT 1 $ 1,391 $ 1,391
Onetime Office Equipment - Folding Machine 1 $ 7,800 $ 7,800
Onetime Computer Equipment 2 $ 750 $ 1,500
Onetime Furniture & Furnishings 2 $ 500 $ 1,000
Onetime Secure Ballot Box 1 $ 1,500 $ 1,500
Onetime Signage 1 $ 500 $ 500
Total $ 136,548
Team Leader (4) @ $56,000 each= $224,000

Estimated cost to open 15 additional satellite locations - $2,272,220
Secure Dropboxes
Installing at least 15 secure, 24-hour drop boxes at each early vote location will help ensure
that voters have some opportunity to return their ballots if it may be too late to send via USPS.
(Current law does not honor postmarks.) These would be in addition to 24-hour drop boxes
located at City Hall and the Voter Registration Office at Delaware and Spring Garden. Purpose-
built ballot drop boxes cost approximately $10,000 each, including installation, and can be
more easily secured on election night to prevent ballots from being deposited after 8pm. Each
box needs 24-hour video surveillance. In addition to equipment costs, courier/pick-up teams
will be needed to pick up deposited ballots from 24-hour drop boxes and to monitor drop-off
boxes within public facilities. Chain of custody protocols and sufficient staffing to manage
higher volume prior to Election Day will be critical.
Secure Dropbox $150,000 15 $10,000
Temporary Ballot
Collection Staff $40,000 5 $8,000
Ballot Collection Team

Leader $112,000 2 $56,000
Security needs $250,000
Phila0005
TOTAL $552,000
In-person Voting at Polling Places on Election Day
The Office of the City Commissioners is working to open as many fully-staffed polling places
as possible, which in pre-pandemic elections included 800+ locations and 8,515 workers.
Under Act 12, Philadelphia reduced its typical 825-850 polling places (housing a total of 1,703
divisions) to 190 for the June 2 primary, staffed by approximately 2,850 workers. The
consolidation plan reduced the number of polling places to 190, with 190 election boards, and
190 check-in locations. In the General Election, Philadelphia plans to stand up the city’s 1,703
divisions in 650 to 850 polling places, using as many as 3,680 voting machines. Unlike the
primary, there will be no consolidating divisions. Each division, even if located in the same
polling place as another division will have their own election board, their own set of voting
machines, and their own check-in table. Health centers (2) and fire stations (31) will not be used
for the General Election and must either be replaced by newly selected locations or moved to a
polling place already in use by another division. Philadelphia's polling place unit is currently
reaching out and contacting the owners of our polling places, preparing a list of polling places
who are committed to hosting us in November and finding replacements for those that are not.
While the process is still ongoing, the polling place unit has received confirmations from 590
locations, refusals from 68 locations (many of which are senior facilities), and are waiting on
responses from 142 locations. 324 of the confirmed locations are public facilities such as
schools; the remainder are privately owned facilities. The Office of the City Commissioners
understands CTCL’s interest in maximizing the number of polling locations and will work to
identify over 800 locations. However, given the nature of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, there
are scenarios where more locations could result in voters having to travel farther to less
convenient locations in order to have a higher number of total locations. The Commissioners
will make the final decisions based on ADA standards, relative distance to the division,
accessibility, and voter convenience.
For each division to have a full, 5-member Election Board (Judge of Elections, two Inspectors of
Election, one Clerk, and one Machine Inspector) will require recruiting, training, and assigning
up to 8,515 poll workers (1,703 divisions x 5 Election Board members). Philadelphia's Election
Board unit is reaching out and confirming Election Board workers currently, earlier than usual.
Currently the Election Board unit has confirmed 1,898 Election Board Workers.
The City Commissioners and elections staff are working to update training materials (currently a
52-page guide and 40-slide presentation). Additional changes may be necessary based on
further changes to the Election Code made by the General Assembly, the outcome of active
litigation, and new COVID guidance. Training resources will ideally include:
Updated Election Board Guide and seminar presentation
Online training with audio and visual components (e.g., videos, self-assessment)
6
Phila0006
In-person training sessions with up to 20 attendees, depending on space and health
risks
Additional space for poll workers to access computers and Internet for online training
(e.g., school computer labs)

Online training
platform $19,500 15 $1300 per user/per year
Training Manual $10,500
Poll Worker Hazard Pay
$851,500 8,515 $100 per poll worker
Poll Worker PPE $250,000
Poll Place Cleaning
Bonus $94,800 474 $200 per private location
OT Costs to Open
Schools $60,000
Student Poll Worker
Campaign Costs $10,000
Advertising for Poll
Worker Recruitment $25,000
TOTAL $1,321,300
Conclusion
The investments outlined above will allow the City of Philadelphia to reduce the risk of
exposure to coronavirus for Philadelphia voters, election staff and poll workers; identify best
practices; innovate to efficiently and effectively educate our residents about how to exercise
their right to vote; be intentional and strategic in reaching our historically disenfranchised
residents and communities; and, above all, ensure the right to vote in a diversity of
communities throughout the City of Philadelphia. Thank you for the opportunity to submit this
request.
Phila0007
From: Ashley Del Bianco
To: Tiana Epps-Johnson
Cc: Sam Oliker-Friedland; Marc Solomon; Andrew Richman; Benjamin Field; Mark Wheeler; Nicholas Susi; Joyce
Spindler; Chris Donato; Deborah Mahler; Adam Packard; Trevor Day; Elizabeth Hanley
Subject: City of Phila/OIT proposal to CTCL
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2020 12:20:14 PM
Attachments: Philadelphia OIT_Proposal to CTCL_10_8_20.docx


Ashley Del Bianco has shared a OneDrive for Business file with you. To view it, click the link
below.
Philadelphia OIT_Proposal to CTCL_10_8_20.docx

Dear Tiana,
I am pleased to submit for your consideration a proposal to support the City of Philadelphia's
Office of Innovation and Technology to supplement the information technology security
efforts of the City for the general election 2020.
Thank you for the opportunity, and please contact me with any questions.
Regards,
Ashley
Ashley Del Bianco

Chief Grants Officer
City of Philadelphia
Cell:
Phila0008
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Phila0009
August 21, 2020
Office of the Director of Finance
1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd. Ste 1330
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102
To whom it may concern:
I am pleased to inform you that the Center for Tech and Civic Life (“CTCL”) has awarded the
City of Philadelphia (“City”) a grant to support its work in connection with the safe
administration of elections in 2020 (the “Grant”).
The following is a description of the Grant:
AMOUNT OF GRANT: Ten million, sixteen thousand and seventy-four US dollars

(USD $10,016,074).
PURPOSE: The Grant funds must be used exclusively for the public
purpose of planning and operationalizing safe and secure
election administration in the City of Philadelphia in
accordance with the attached Philadelphia Safe Voting Plan
2020.
Before we transmit these funds, we ask that you sign this agreement promising to use the
Grant funds in compliance with United States tax laws. Specifically, by signing this letter on
behalf of the City you confirm and agree to the following:
Phila0010
1. The City is a local government unit or political subdivision in the meaning of
26 USC 170(c)(1).
2. This Grant shall be used only for the public purpose described above, and for
no other purposes.
3. The City shall not use any part of this grant to give a grant to another
organization unless CTCL agrees to the specific sub-grant in writing.
4. The City has produced a plan for safe and secure election administration in
2020, including an assessment of election administration needs, budget
estimates for such assessment, and an assessment of the impact of the plan
on voters (“the Plan”). The Plan is attached to this agreement. The City shall
use the Grant Funds only for purposes contained in The Plan.
5. The City will endeavor to expend Grant funds pursuant to the section of the
Plan entitled “Mail in and absentee equipment” on the items listed in that
section of the Plan and shall repay any portion of the Grant funds designated
for any item not purchased by November 15, 2020, absent an agreed-upon
substitution or expenditure or extension of time by grantor.
6. The City shall expend Grant funds as follows:
i. The City and the City Commissioners (“the Commissioners”) have

submitted to CTCL a plan which includes a section entitled “Satellite
Election Offices and Ballot Drop-off Options. The City shall
communicate any changes from this section of the plan including
any reduction in planned number, operating hours, or operating
dates of satellite election centers to grantor and shall communicate
the reasons for any such reduction. Nothing in this section shall be
construed to require action inconsistent with state or federal law or
regulation nor shall anything in this section be construed to limit in
any way the independent decision-making rights, abilities, and
obligations of the Philadelphia County Board of Elections.
ii. The City and the Commissioners have submitted to CTCL a plan which
includes a section entitled “Secure Dropboxes.” The City shall
communicate any changes from this section of the plan including any
reduction in the planned number, operating hours, or operating dates
CENTER FOR TECH & CIVIC LIFE

HELLO@TECHANDCIVICLIFE.ORG
PAGE 2
Phila0011
of satellite election centers and shall communicate the reasons for
any such reduction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to
require action inconsistent with state or federal law or regulation nor
shall anything in this section be construed to limit in any way the
independent decision-making rights, abilities, and obligations of the
Philadelphia County Board of Elections.
iii. The City and the Commissioners have submitted to CTCL a plan which
includes a section entitled “In-person Voting at Polling Places on
Election Day.” The City and the Commissioners shall work to secure
800 or more in-person polling places on Election Day, pursuant to this
Section. To extent the goals of that section of the Plan are not met,
the City shall communicate to grantor the number of polling places,
rationale for opening fewer than 800 polling places, the approximate
average and maximum distance between a registered voter’s
residence and their assigned polling place, a description of all courses
of action or plans undertaken to open 800 or more polling places, and
why each such course of action or plan was not successful. Nothing in
this section shall be construed to require action inconsistent with
state or federal law or regulation nor shall anything in this section be
construed to limit in any way the independent decision-making rights,
abilities, and obligations of the Philadelphia County Board of
Elections.
iv. Grantor shall not unreasonably withhold agreement to modify any

requirement under this paragraph for good cause.
7. The City shall produce a report documenting how the Grant funds have been
expended in support of the activities described in paragraphs 4-6. This report
shall be written and sent to CTCL by January 31, 2021 or in any other format
approved by CTCL.
8. Subject to the City’s Code and Charter, the City shall use funds granted
pursuant to this agreement only to supplement its election administration as
detailed in this agreement. The City shall not supplant state or local funds
that have been previously allocated.

PAGE 3
Phila0012
9. CTCL may discontinue, withhold part of, or request the return of all or part of
any unspent Grant funds if it determines, that any of the above conditions
have not been met.
10. The Grant funds shall be used during the project period of June 15, 2020
through December 31, 2020 or as otherwise agreed upon.
Your acceptance of these agreements should be indicated below. Please have an

authorized representative of The City of Philadelphia sign below, and return a scanned
copy of this letter to us by email at grants@techandciviclife.org.
On behalf of CTCL, I extend my best wishes in your work.
Sincerely,
Tiana Epps Johnson

Executive Director
Center for Tech and Civic Life
CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
By: __________________________
Ashley Del Bianco, Chief Grants Officer

Title: _________________________
8/21/20
Date: _______________________

PAGE 4
Phila0013
To: Center for Technology and Civic Life
From: Nick Custodio, Deputy Commissioner
Date: August 7, 2020
Re: Funding Request for Election Systems for November General Election
Overview
The City of Philadelphia faces significant challenges in executing the November 3, 2020 general
election. As the June 2 primary revealed, in November the city will essentially have to run two
elections, at the same time, on an unprecedented scale: one via absentee and mail-in ballots;
and a second at in-person polling places. The number of total ballots cast is expected to be
between 730,000 and 800,000, potentially split between the two modes of voting, which will
each entail special challenges.
This document offers an assessment of resources needed for Philadelphia to safely and
thoroughly prepare for the general election. In addition to projecting needs based on the unique
June 2 primary, turnout from past presidential elections, and the continued risks of COVID-19,
this plan capitalizes on new voting procedures authorized by Act 77 of 20191 that should help
ensure the election is safe, secure and accessible for every eligible Philadelphia voter.
In these extraordinary circumstances, to deliver a smooth voting process and a satisfactory voting
experience for Philadelphia’s 1.1 million voters will require a concerted and collaborative effort.
Accordingly, we have convened a working group consisting of my office, the Mayor’s Office, the
Governor’s Office, other relevant public entities, and advocacy groups to work through
challenges regarding implementation. Meeting this challenge will also require additional
resources to the City of Philadelphia for election implementation.
A preliminary budget overview estimate on top of what is already available to the City is as
follows:
Mail-in and Absentee and Processing Equipment $5,500,554

Satellite Election Offices for in-person mail-in voting $2,272,220
In-person Voting at Polling Places on Election Day $1,321,300
Secure Dropboxes and related needs $552,000
Printing and Postage and related needs $370,000
Total $10,016,074
1
Act of Oct. 31, 2019, P.L. 552, No. 77.
Phila0014
Needs Assessment & Costs
The following sections outline initial details of the mailhouse-type processing operation,
installation of drop boxes, additional satellite election offices for early voting, personnel needs,
and the costs associated with each:
Mail-in and Absentee Equipment

Automation will be critical to efficiently and accurately manage hundreds of thousands of ballot
envelopes and ballots in the 2-4 weeks leading up to Election Day and in the canvassing process
afterwards and help report results faster. The following equipment is needed to relieve the 50+
staffers and extensive overtime that was utilized in the primary:
● High-speed industrial Printer: Printer will be used to print mail-in and absentee ballots.
Currently, the City Commissioners’ six (6) networked printers can produce about 15,000
ballots a day, if running optimally. A high-speed industrial printer capable of 15,000 per
hour would greatly reduce the time between application approval and a voter’s ballot
entering the mail stream. This is particularly important around the application deadline
on the Tuesday before the election. Cost: $987,980
● Specialized VBM Inserter: An inserter combines the contents of the ballot packet and the
prints addresses on the outgoing and return envelope. Ballot packs include multiple
items: the ballot, instructions, return declaration envelope with the voter’s information
printed on it, secrecy envelope, and plain English statements of the ballot questions. An
inserter rapidly folds the ballots and constructs the packets, guaranteeing the appropriate
ballot is inserted for a specific voter. The inserter also prints the voter’s address on the
outgoing envelope and the voter’s information on the return declaration envelope,
information which must include the voter’s name, address, ward-division, and a barcode
with the same information so that the automation of the sorting equipment can read
information. The inserter being requested is able to print on both sides of the envelope
and include an intelligent mail barcode (IMB). The double-sided printing and applying the
IBM all at once is important to increase accuracy, ensure the voter receives the correct
ballot packet and improves efficiency. Cost:$798,895; or for two: $1,597,790, plus
$69,500 for 2 high-speed folder.
● Sorters automate the sorting of both outbound ballot packs for cheaper US Postal Service
rates and inbound ballot envelopes, decreasing mailing inefficiencies and delays in
opening and scanning returned ballots. The sorter also will do the voter history update
scan, which is a time-consuming process currently that takes dozens of Commissioners’
staffers at least a week to complete. The scan would also allow for the adjudication of
declaration envelopes to be done electronically, which is significantly faster than the
current hand method. Lastly, it will sort the ballots into ward and division order, a process
that took 40 people several days to complete during the 2020 Primary. Cost:$488,592,
or for two: $977,184
2
Phila0015
● Extractors: Though the Commissioners had automatic letter openers in the primary, they
were not enough. The process of physically removing ballots from the envelopes took too
long and took staff away from other activities and created a backlog so that the
Commissioners’ were unable to keep their scanners constantly going. The extractors not
only cut open the ballot return and secrecy envelopes, but they also present the contents
for staff to remove and immediately replace with a fresh envelope. Discarded envelopes
are checked automatically to ensure their contents were removed. Twenty-two
extractors, eleven for working on each envelope, will eliminate the need for any envelope
opening by hand and open all anticipated ballots in three working days. Estimated cost:
~$660,000
● Ballot scanners: Philadelphia used four Election Systems and Software (ES&S) DS450
scanners in the primary election, each of which can scan up to 72 ballots per minute. ES&S
manufacturers another scanner (DS850) which can scan up to 300 ballots per minute.
With the additional equipment speeding up the ballot opening process, additional
scanners are needed to prevent a backlog. Philadelphia will seek to purchase 4 additional
DS450s and 4 DS850s. Cost: $611,300.

Printer $987,980 1 $987,980
Inserter $1,597,790 2 $798,895
Sorter
$977,187 2 $488,592
Extractors $660,000 22 $30,000
Ballot
Scanners
– DS850
$411,500 4 $102,875
Ballot
Scanners
– DS450 $199,800 4 $49,950
Highspeed
Folder $69,500 2 $34,750
Space for
equipment $200,000 $2000,000
1 year
Additional Maintenance $334,137 1 $334,137
Ink $14,060 1 $14,060
Phila0016
Ballot Prep Software $48,600 1 $48,600
TOTAL $5,500,554
Satellite Election Offices and Ballot Drop-off Options

Act 77 of 2019 allows counties to set up multiple election offices where a voter can request an
absentee or mail-in ballot, then complete and return it in the same visit.2 A voter can go to any
satellite office and register to vote, if needed, request a mail-in ballot in-person, receive it, vote,
and return it all at the same location. In addition, voters could bring already voted ballots making
the satellite offices additional drop-off locations. Early voting satellite offices will be open and
fully staffed until the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot, thereafter through Election Day they
will remain open as ballot drop-off locations. They must also be sufficiently staffed with
permanent staff with hazard pay to limit worker turnover, handle a surge in voters before polls
open, and manage sites in a pandemic environment.
The City Commissioners already have two in-person mail-in voting locations set up at their
existing offices at City Hall and 520 N. Columbus Blvd, that are fully equipped to offer these
services. These two offices are both in the Center City Region. The City Commissioners would
like to open up 15 additional regional offices throughout the city. However, it will require a
notable investment in equipment, staff, real estate, and close collaboration with other city
departments. Satellite election offices must meet the following conditions according to PA
Department of State guidance:
● Staffed by trained elections staff and in a municipal or county-owned or leased property

● Connected to the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors (SURE) system for staff to
confirm voters’ registration record (via local county network or a VPN connection)
● Ability to provide any ballot style used in the election (Philadelphia has nearly 60 in the
November 2020 general election)
● Secure storage for completed ballots
Cost per additional satellite location is as follows:
Item Quantity Base Total

Onetime Voting Booths 4 $ 165 $ 660
Onetime Accessibility Voting Booths 1 $ 190 $ 190
Onetime Ballotar laptop and Oakie Printers 2 $ 10,810 $ 21,620
Recurring ES&S Ballotar Annual Software Fee 2 $ 880 $ 1,760
2
Pennsylvania Applications and Balloting Guidance: Mail-in and Absentee Ballots and Voter Registration Changes.
PA Department of State. January 10, 2020.
4
Phila0017
Recurring Clerk 1 2 $ 33,476 $ 66,952
Recurring Additional Regular OT 2 $ 12,400 $ 24,800
Recurring Additional Holiday OT 2 $ 438 $ 875.00
Onetime Temporary Employee 1 $ 6,000 $ 6,000
Onetime Temporary Employee - OT 1 $ 1,391 $ 1,391
Onetime Office Equipment - Folding Machine 1 $ 7,800 $ 7,800
Onetime Computer Equipment 2 $ 750 $ 1,500
Onetime Furniture & Furnishings 2 $ 500 $ 1,000
Onetime Secure Ballot Box 1 $ 1,500 $ 1,500
Onetime Signage 1 $ 500 $ 500
Total $ 136,548
Team Leader (4) @ $56,000 each= $224,000

Estimated cost to open 15 additional satellite locations - $2,272,220
Secure Dropboxes
Installing at least 15 secure, 24-hour drop boxes at each early vote location will help ensure that
voters have some opportunity to return their ballots if it may be too late to send via USPS.
(Current law does not honor postmarks.) These would be in addition to 24-hour drop boxes
located at City Hall and the Voter Registration Office at Delaware and Spring Garden. Purpose-
built ballot drop boxes cost approximately $10,000 each, including installation, and can be more
easily secured on election night to prevent ballots from being deposited after 8pm. Each box
needs 24-hour video surveillance. In addition to equipment costs, courier/pick-up teams will be
needed to pick up deposited ballots from 24-hour drop boxes and to monitor drop-off boxes
within public facilities. Chain of custody protocols and sufficient staffing to manage higher
volume prior to Election Day will be critical.
Secure Dropbox $150,000 15 $10,000
Temporary Ballot
Collection Staff $40,000 5 $8,000
Ballot Collection Team

Leader $112,000 2 $56,000
Security needs $250,000
Phila0018
TOTAL $552,000
In-person Voting at Polling Places on Election Day
The Office of the City Commissioners is committed to working to secure more than 800 fully-
staffed polling places on election day. The Commissioners will make the final decisions based on
ADA standards, relative distance to the division, accessibility, and voter convenience.
For each division to have a full, 5-member Election Board (Judge of Elections, two Inspectors of
Election, one Clerk, and one Machine Inspector) will require recruiting, training, and assigning up
to 8,515 poll workers (1,703 divisions x 5 Election Board members). Philadelphia's Election Board
unit is reaching out and confirming Election Board workers currently, earlier than usual. Currently
the Election Board unit has confirmed 1,898 Election Board Workers.
The City Commissioners and elections staff are working to update training materials (currently a
52-page guide and 40-slide presentation). Additional changes may be necessary based on further
changes to the Election Code made by the General Assembly, the outcome of active litigation,
and new COVID guidance. Training resources will ideally include:
● Updated Election Board Guide and seminar presentation
● Online training with audio and visual components (e.g., videos, self-assessment)
● In-person training sessions with up to 20 attendees, depending on space and health risks
● Additional space for poll workers to access computers and Internet for online training
(e.g., school computer labs)
Online training
platform $19,500 15 $1300 per user/per year
Training Manual $10,500
Poll Worker Hazard Pay
$851,500 8,515 $100 per poll worker
Poll Worker PPE $250,000
Poll Place Cleaning
Bonus $94,800 474 $200 per private location
OT Costs to Open
Schools $60,000
Student Poll Worker
Campaign Costs $10,000
Phila0019
Advertising for Poll
Worker Recruitment $25,000
TOTAL $1,321,300
Conclusion
The investments outlined above will allow the City of Philadelphia to reduce the risk of exposure
to coronavirus for Philadelphia voters, election staff and poll workers; identify best practices;
innovate to efficiently and effectively educate our residents about how to exercise their right to
vote; be intentional and strategic in reaching our historically disenfranchised residents and
communities; and, above all, ensure the right to vote in a diversity of communities throughout
the City of Philadelphia. Thank you for the opportunity to submit this request.
Phila0020
From: Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2020 4:08 PM
To: Tiana Epps-Johnson <tiana@techandciviclife.org>; Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>; Dennis Granados
<dennis@techandciviclife.org>
Cc: Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Trevor Day <Trevor.Day@phila.gov>
Subject: Re: 8/7/2020 Request
Thank you so much !

I’ll look forward to our meeting .
Lisa
From: Tiana Epps-Johnson <tiana@techandciviclife.org>

To: Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>; Dennis Granados <dennis@techandciviclife.org>
Cc: Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Trevor Day <Trevor.Day@phila.gov>
External Email Notice. This email comes from outside of City government. Do not click on links or open
attachments unless you recognize the sender.
+Dennis Granados
Looping in Dennis Granados on the CTCL Operations team who will take it from here to find a time for our meeting.
Here's an agenda of what we hope to cover together in this initial conversation:

• Introductions: Learn who’s “in the room”
• Technical Assistance Overview: Provide an overview of the resources available to grantee jurisdictions, beyond
funding, to support the successful implementation safe voting plans
• Support Needs: Hear from Philadelphia officials about their plan:
o What elements do you feel confident moving forward with implementing?
o What elements of your plan might benefit from support from a technical assistance partner?
Note: We have a network of current and former election administrators and election experts
available to provide assistance (at no cost) on communications; scaling up your vote by mail
processes; poll worker recruitment and training in a pandemic; applying public health
guidelines to polling places; designing election materials to ensure forms, envelopes, and other
Phila0021
materials are understood and completed correctly by voters; and more. You can learn more
about partners and offerings
here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B8IyUsOTKdAsLdLUtg3HSIkoOwsVFqiNdA2M8JvfF-
g/edit?usp=sharing.
• Questions from Technical Assistance Partners: Reviewing Philadelphia’s plan, are there any pressing questions
TA partners have to better understand how they might provide support in the coming months?
• Next Steps: What should Philadelphia expect as next steps?
I know that you all have already been working with a couple of these partner organizations, so we can spend most of the
time focused on how we can best support you in the coming months rather than on intros.
And Lisa, I understand that you and others reviewed the terms of the agreement today and would like to find time to
discuss those. We will follow up with Ashley to schedule a separate meeting this week to hear your feedback.
Looking forward!
Tiana
On Fri, Aug 7, 2020 at 7:52 PM Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@phila.gov> wrote:
Tiana:
I have added Seth, Commissioner Deeley, and Trevor. These would be the best people to include in our introductory call.
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
Office of Commissioner Deeley; Chairwoman
1400 John F Kennedy Blvd
City Hall Room 130
Philadelphia, PA. 19107
O 215-686-3460
C
F 215-686-3947
From: Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>

Sent: Friday, August 7, 2020 4:21 PM
To: Tiana Epps-Johnson <tiana@techandciviclife.org>
Thank you so much! We look forward to working with you to make this election a success.
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
City Hall Room 130
O 215-686-3460
C
F 215-686-3947

To: Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>
Nick,
Thank you for the thoughtfulness, time, and effort you, Lisa, and the team have put into developing this plan. I'm
Phila0022
thrilled to share that CTCL will move forward with funding this plan at the full amount requested: $10,016,074.
As a next step, our team will draw up grant paperwork which we plan to provide to you for review and signature early
next week.
We'd also like to schedule a call for next week to discuss implementation and to introduce you to members of our
team who are available to support you make this plan a reality.
Who from Philadelphia should be included in that first call?
All the best,

Tiana
Tiana:
We look forward to discussing the attached request.
Thank you for the consideration,

Nick
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
City Hall Room 130
O 215-686-3460
C
F 215-686-3947
--
Tiana Epps-Johnson | Founder & Executive Director, Center for Tech and Civic Life | (650) 796-4695 |
tiana@techandciviclife.org | she/her
--
Tiana Epps-Johnson | Founder & Executive Director, Center for Tech and Civic Life | tiana@techandciviclife.org | she/her
Phila0023
To: Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>; Dennis Granados <dennis@techandciviclife.org>
Cc: Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Trevor Day <Trevor.Day@phila.gov>
External Email Notice. This email comes from outside of City government. Do not click on links or open attachments unless
you recognize the sender.
+Dennis Granados
Looping in Dennis Granados on the CTCL Operations team who will take it from here to find a time for our meeting.
Here's an agenda of what we hope to cover together in this initial conversation:
Introductions: Learn who’s “in the room”

Technical Assistance Overview: Provide an overview of the resources available to grantee jurisdictions, beyond
funding, to support the successful implementation safe voting plans
Support Needs: Hear from Philadelphia officials about their plan:
What elements do you feel confident moving forward with implementing?
What elements of your plan might benefit from support from a technical assistance partner?
Note: We have a network of current and former election administrators and election experts
available to provide assistance (at no cost) on communications; scaling up your vote by mail
processes; poll worker recruitment and training in a pandemic; applying public health guidelines to
polling places; designing election materials to ensure forms, envelopes, and other materials are
understood and completed correctly by voters; and more. You can learn more about partners and
offerings
here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B8IyUsOTKdAsLdLUtg3HSIkoOwsVFqiNdA2M8JvfF-
g/edit?usp=sharing.
Questions from Technical Assistance Partners: Reviewing Philadelphia’s plan, are there any pressing questions
TA partners have to better understand how they might provide support in the coming months?
Next Steps: What should Philadelphia expect as next steps?
I know that you all have already been working with a couple of these partner organizations, so we can spend most of the time
focused on how we can best support you in the coming months rather than on intros.
And Lisa, I understand that you and others reviewed the terms of the agreement today and would like to find time to discuss
those. We will follow up with Ashley to schedule a separate meeting this week to hear your feedback.
Looking forward!
Tiana

Tiana:
I have added Seth, Commissioner Deeley, and Trevor. These would be the best people to include in our introductory call.
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
Phila0024
City Hall Room 130
O 215-686-3460
C
F 215-686-3947

Thank you so much! We look forward to working with you to make this election a success.
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
City Hall Room 130
O 215-686-3460
C
F 215-686-3947

External Email Notice. This email comes from outside of City government. Do not click on links or open attachments unless
you recognize the sender.
Nick,
Thank you for the thoughtfulness, time, and effort you, Lisa, and the team have put into developing this plan. I'm thrilled to
share that CTCL will move forward with funding this plan at the full amount requested: $10,016,074.
As a next step, our team will draw up grant paperwork which we plan to provide to you for review and signature early next
week.
We'd also like to schedule a call for next week to discuss implementation and to introduce you to members of our team who
are available to support you make this plan a reality.
Who from Philadelphia should be included in that first call?
All the best,

Tiana

Tiana:

Nick
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
City Hall Room 130
O 215-686-3460
C
F 215-686-3947
--
Tiana Epps-Johnson | Founder & Executive Director, Center for Tech and Civic Life | (650) 796-4695 |
tiana@techandciviclife.org | she/her
Phila0025
--
Tiana Epps-Johnson | Founder & Executive Director, Center for Tech and Civic Life | tiana@techandciviclife.org | she/her
Phila0026
From: Nick Custodio
Sent: Friday, August 7, 2020 12:37 AM
Cc: Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>
Subject: 8-6-2020
Tiana:

Nick
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
City Hall Room 130
O 215-686-3460
C
F 215-686-3947
Phila0027
From: Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>
Sent: Thursday, September 3, 2020 1:57 PM
To: Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>; Dennis Granados <dennis@techandciviclife.org>;
Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>
Cc: Imani Wilson <Imani.Wilson@Phila.gov>; Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Trevor Day
<Trevor.Day@phila.gov>; Elizabeth Hanley <Elizabeth.Hanley@phila.gov>
Subject: Re: CTCL Grant payment confirmation - Philadelphia
Thanks everyone for your efforts !
Lisa

To: Dennis Granados <dennis@techandciviclife.org>; Ashley Del Bianco
<Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>
Cc: Imani Wilson <Imani.Wilson@Phila.gov>; Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley
<Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Trevor Day <Trevor.Day@phila.gov>; Elizabeth Hanley
<Elizabeth.Hanley@phila.gov>
Thank you!
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
City Hall Room 130
O 215-686-3460
C
F 215-686-3947
Phila0028
From: Dennis Granados <dennis@techandciviclife.org>
To: Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>
Cc: Imani Wilson <Imani.Wilson@Phila.gov>; Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>; Seth
Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Trevor Day
External Email Notice. This email comes from outside of City government. Do not click on
links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
Thanks for confirming. Appreciate all your support throughout this process.
Best,
Dennis
On Thu, Sep 3, 2020 at 12:08 PM Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov> wrote:

All,
Imani in the Treasurer’s Office just confirmed that the ACH payment has been received in
the City’s account. The amount received is confirmed at $10,016,074.00.
Thank you all so much for your support!
Ash
Ashley Del Bianco

c:
From: Imani Wilson <Imani.Wilson@Phila.gov>

To: Dennis Granados <dennis@techandciviclife.org>; Ashley Del Bianco
<Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>
Cc: Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>; Seth Bluestein
<Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Trevor Day
Subject: RE: CTCL Grant payment confirmation - Philadelphia
Thanks Dennis.

Cc: Imani Wilson <Imani.Wilson@Phila.gov>; Nick Custodio
<Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>; Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley
<Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Trevor Day <Trevor.Day@phila.gov>; Elizabeth Hanley
Phila0029
Thanks, Ashley.
And correct - amount is $10,016,074.00
On Thu, Sep 3, 2020 at 11:26 AM Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>

wrote:
Imani,
The exact amount that we are expecting is $10,016,074.
Thanks,
Ash
Ashley Del Bianco

c:
From: Imani Wilson <Imani.Wilson@Phila.gov>

To: Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>; Dennis Granados
<dennis@techandciviclife.org>; Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>
Cc: Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>;
Trevor Day <Trevor.Day@phila.gov>; Elizabeth Hanley <Elizabeth.Hanley@phila.gov>
Subject: RE: CTCL Grant payment confirmation - Philadelphia
Good afternoon Dennis,
Can you please provide the exact dollar amount of the wire transfer? Thanks in advance.
Imani
From: Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>

Sent: Thursday, September 3, 2020 11:47 AM
To: Dennis Granados <dennis@techandciviclife.org>; Nick Custodio
<Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>
Cc: Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>;
Trevor Day <Trevor.Day@phila.gov>; Imani Wilson <Imani.Wilson@Phila.gov>;
Elizabeth Hanley <Elizabeth.Hanley@phila.gov>
Dennis,
We appreciate you letting us know. As soon as the City Treasurer's Office receives the
Phila0030
funds, they will notify Elizabeth and me, and we'll immediately inform this group.
Regards,
Ashley
Ashley Del Bianco

Cell:

Sent: Thursday, September 3, 2020 11:33 AM
Cc: Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>; Seth Bluestein
<Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Trevor Day
<Trevor.Day@phila.gov>; Imani Wilson <Imani.Wilson@Phila.gov>; Elizabeth Hanley
Subject: CTCL Grant payment confirmation - Philadelphia
Hi Nick and team,
Thank you again for your support throughout this process and getting us
the payment information for the grant disbursement. I wanted to provide you with an
update and let you know that the wire transfer was initiated this week.
If you could get back to me via email and confirm once the wire transfer is received
on your end, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you again for your help.
Regards,
-Dennis
--
Dennis Granados
Executive & Development Assistant
techandciviclife.org
--
Dennis Granados
--
Dennis Granados
Phila0031
Phila0032
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2020 7:05 PM
To: Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>; Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley
<Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>
Cc: Trevor Day <Trevor.Day@phila.gov>
Subject: CTCL/Philadelphia call agenda - 8/14, 10am EST
External Email Notice. This email comes from outside of City government. Do not click on links or open attachments
unless you recognize the sender.
Hi all,
CTCL is really looking forward to talking with you tomorrow morning and introducing you to some of the Center for Tech and
Civic Life's partners who are available to help the City of Philadelphia implement your Safe Voting Plan. I'm including meeting
information including attendees, agenda, and roles below.
We will ask you each to give a quick introduction (prompts included in the "Agenda and Roles" section below). We also have
20 mins on the agenda dedicated to hearing from you ("Support Needs" below). During this time we'd like to hear from you
about the top areas where you think the City of Philadelphia would benefit from support as you work to implement the Safe
Voting Plan, as well as the things you feel confident you have handled.
If you have any questions please reach out.
Best,
-Dennis
Call Details
Aug. 14, 2020
9:00 AM Central Time (10:00 AM Eastern)
Join Zoom Meeting
Phila0033
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86431442719
Meeting ID: 864 3144 2719
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,86431442719# US (Chicago)
+19292056099,,86431442719# US (New York)
Goals
Introductions:
Learn who’s “in the room”
Technical
Assistance Overview: Provide an overview of the resources available
to grantee jurisdictions, beyond funding, to support the successful implementation safe voting
plans
Support
Needs: Hear from Philadelphia officials about their plan:
What elements do you feel confident moving

forward with implementing?
What elements of your plan might benefit

from support from a technical assistance partner?
Note: We have a network of current and

former election administrators and election experts available to provide assistance (at
no cost) on communications; scaling up your vote by mail processes; poll worker
recruitment and training in a pandemic; applying public health guidelines to polling
places;
designing election materials to ensure forms, envelopes, and other materials are
understood and completed correctly by voters; and more. You can learn more about
partners and offerings here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B8IyUsOTKdAsLdLUtg3HSIkoOwsVFqiNdA2M8JvfF-
g/edit?usp=sharing.
Phila0034
Questions
from Technical Assistance Partners: Reviewing Philadelphia’s plan,
are there any pressing questions TA partners have to better understand how they might provide
support in the coming months?
Next
Steps: What should Philadelphia expect as next steps?
Who’s on the call
City of Philadelphia invitees
Nick Custodio - Deputy Commissioner
Lisa Deeley - Commissioner
Seth Bluestein - Chief Deputy Commissioner,

Chief Integrity Officer
Center for Tech and Civic Life - (note

taker)
Tiana Epps-Johnson
Whitney May
Kurt Sampsel
Elections Group
Jennifer Morrell
Center for Civic Design
Asher Kolieboi
Phila0035
Vote at Home
Hillary Hall
Agenda and Roles
Introductions
(15 mins)
Each person on call
Please share your name, location, title,

and your role in supporting implementation of safe voting plans
Technical Assistance Overview

(10 mins)
Led by Tiana at CTCL
Support Needs
(20 mins)
Hearing from Philadelphia officials
What elements do you feel confident moving

forward with implementing?
What elements of your City’s plan might

benefit from support from a technical assistance partner?
Questions from Technical Assistance Partners

(10 mins)
Open to any technical assistance partner
Phila0036
Next Steps
(5 mins)
Led by Tiana at CTCL
--
Dennis Granados
Phila0037
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2020 10:57 AM
Cc: Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Trevor Day
<Trevor.Day@phila.gov>
Subject: Philadelphia - CTCL Grant Payment Information
Hi Nick and team,
Thank you to the Philadelphia team for sending over the signed agreement. I am following up in
order to provide you with payment information form, which can be found in the following link, to
start the distribution process:
COVID Response Grant Payment Form
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!
Regards,
Dennis
--
Dennis Granados
Phila0038
Phila0039
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 7:09 PM
Cc: dennis@techandciviclife.org <dennis@techandciviclife.org>
Subject: Re: Quote For Press Release
Thanks, Nick. And for sharing the Inquirer piece.
Best,
Tiana
On Wed, Aug 26, 2020 at 5:21 PM Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@phila.gov> wrote:

https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/philadelphia-2020-election-funding-20200826.html
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
City Hall Room 130
O 215-686-3460
C
F 215-686-3947

Phila0040
Thank you!

Ok that works. I'll make that edit in a bit.
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
City Hall Room 130
Philadelphia, PA 19107
O 215-686-3460
F 215-686-3947
Sent from my phone, please excuse any typos.

Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 5:03:01 PM
Thank you, Nick. I feel comfortable moving forward with the release with one edit. Can
you please remove the following portion of the final paragraph?
The Center for Tech and Civic Life recently provided a similar grant to five Wisconsin
cities
totaling $6.3 million. Additionally, Delaware County, PA announced on August 19 th that
they
received their own grant of $2.2 million.
We'd like to keep this announcement focused on Philadelphia.
Thank you,
Tiana

Yup, here you go. Law just signed off.
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
Phila0041
City Hall Room 130
O 215-686-3460
C
F 215-686-3947

External Email Notice. This email comes from outside of City government. Do not click
on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
Hi Nick,
Can you share the full release?
Thanks,
Tiana
On Tue, Aug 25, 2020 at 6:42 PM Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@phila.gov> wrote:

Tiana:
I am not sure if you already talked to Marty or not but I was wondering if I could get your approval for
this quote for the press release.
“Philadelphia's City Commissioners and other election departments throughout the

country are facing unprecedented challenges this year because of the COVID-19
pandemic in administering safe and secure elections that provide healthy voting
options to the public,” said Center for Tech and Civic Life Executive Director Tiana
Epps-Johnson.
“To meet this challenge, CTCL is providing support to the Philadelphia City
Commissioners Office through our COVID-19 Response Grants Program so no voter
is required to make a choice between their health and their ability to vote. From
ensuring that polling places are open and following the latest public health guidelines,
to providing options for voters to easily and securely return absentee ballots, to
making certain that the incredible people who step up to serve as poll workers are
protected and well compensated for their service, we’re proud to partner with the City
of Philadelphia to deliver a smooth voting process that ensures confidence," Ms. Epps-
Johnson said.
Nick Custodio
Deputy Commissioner
City Hall Room 130
O 215-686-3460
Phila0042
C
F 215-686-3947
--
Tiana Epps-Johnson | Founder & Executive Director, Center for Tech and Civic Life
| tiana@techandciviclife.org | she/her
--
--
--
Phila0043
From: Nick Custodio
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2020 1:20 PM
To: dennis@techandciviclife.org <dennis@techandciviclife.org>
Subject: Accepted: Updated invitation with note: Call re: CTCL & Philadelphia Kick-off call @ Fri Aug
14, 2020 9am - 10am (CDT) (nick.custodio@phila.gov)
When: Friday, August 14, 2020 10:00 AM-11:00 AM.
Where:
Phila0044
A chi ed: Monday, October 12, 2020 12:48:04 PM
F om: Ashley Del Bianco
Sen : Thu, 3 Sep 2020 16:26:09 +0000Authentication
To: Imani Wilson; Dennis Granados; Nick Custodio
Cc: Seth Bluestein; Lisa Deeley; Trevor Day; Eli abeth Hanley
S bjec : RE: CTCL Grant payment confirmation - Philadelphia
Sen i i i : Normal
Imani,
The exact amount that we are expecting is $10,016,074.
Thanks,
Ash
Ashley Del Bianco
c:
F om: Imani Wilson <Imani.Wilson@Phila.gov>

Sen : Thursday, September 3, 2020 12:13 PM
To: Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>; Dennis Granados <dennis@techandciviclife.org>; Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>
Cc: Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Trevor Day <Trevor.Day@phila.gov>; Eli abeth Hanley <Eli abeth.Hanley@phila.gov>
S bjec : RE: CTCL Grant payment confirmation - Philadelphia
Good afternoon Dennis,
Can you please provide the exact dollar amount of the wire transfer? Thanks in advance.
Imani
F om: Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>

Sen : Thursday, September 3, 2020 11:47 AM
To: Dennis Granados <dennis@techandciviclife.org>; Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>
Cc: Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Trevor Day <Trevor.Day@phila.gov>; Imani Wilson <Imani.Wilson@Phila.gov>; Eli abeth Hanley
<Eli abeth.Hanley@phila.gov>
S bjec : Re: CTCL Grant payment confirmation - Philadelphia
Dennis,
We appreciate you letting us know. As soon as the City Treasurer's Office receives the funds, they will notify Eli abeth and me, and we'll immediately inform this group.
Regards,
Ashley
\cbpat5Ashley Del Bianco
\cbpat5Chief Grants Officer
\cbpat5City of Philadelphia
\cbpat5Cell:
\cbpat5
F om: Dennis Granados <dennis@techandciviclife.org>

Sen : Thursday, September 3, 2020 11:33 AM
Cc: Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>; Seth Bluestein <Seth.Bluestein@phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Trevor Day <Trevor.Day@phila.gov>; Imani Wilson
<Imani.Wilson@Phila.gov>; Eli abeth Hanley <Eli abeth.Hanley@phila.gov>
S bjec : CTCL Grant payment confirmation - Philadelphia
\cbpat7i240E ternal Email Notice. This email comes from outside of Cit government. Do not click on links or open attachments unless ou recogni e the sender.
Hi Nick and team,
Thank you again for your support throughout this process and getting us the payment information for the grant disbursement. I wanted to provide you with an update and let you know that the wire
transfer was initiated this week.
If you could get back to me via email and confirm once the wire transfer is received on your end, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you again for your help.
Phila0045
Regards,
-Dennis
--
De i G a ad
E ec i e & De el e A i a
echa dci iclife. g
Phila0046
A chi ed: M ,O 12, 2020 12:54:53 PM
F om: A D B
Sen : T , 3 S 2020 15:47:06 +0000A
To: D G ;N C
Cc: S B ;L D ;T D ;I W ;E H
S bjec : R : CTCL G -P
Sen i i i : N
Denni
We a ecia e o le ing kno A oon a he Ci T ea e Office ecei e he f nd he ill no if Eli abe h and me and e ll immedia el info m hi g o
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0
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cb a Chief G an Office
cb a Ci of Philadel hia
cb a Cell
f From: Denni G anado denni echandci iclife o g

Sent: Th da Se embe AM
To: Nick C odio Nick C odio Phila go
Cc: A hle Del Bianco A hle DelBianco hila go Se h Bl e ein Se h Bl e ein hila go Li a Deele Li a Deele Phila go T e o Da T e o Da hila go Imani Wil on
Imani Wil on Phila go Eli abe h Hanle Eli abe h Hanle hila go
Subject: CTCL G an a men confi ma ion Philadel hia
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Phila0047
A chi ed: M ,O 12, 2020 12:55:43 M
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f From: Dennis Granados dennis techandciviclife org
Sent: Thursda August AM
To: Nick Custodio Nick Custodio Phila gov
Cc: Seth Bluestein Seth Bluestein phila gov Lisa Deele Lisa Deele Phila gov Trevor Da Trevor Da phila gov
Subject: Philadelphia CTCL Grant Pa ment Information
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Phila0048
From: Ashley Del Bianco
To: Tiana Epps-Johnson
Cc: Andrew Richman; Marc Solomon; Sam Oliker-Friedland; Benjamin Field; Nick Custodio; Lisa Deeley; Hill, Joseph; Adam Coleman; James Engler
Subject: Re: Connecting re: Philadelphia Grant Opportunity
Date: Friday, August 21, 2020 5:15:51 PM
Attachments: Execution Copy Philadelphia CTCL Grant_AD signed - 082120.pdf
Tiana,
Please find attached the countersigned copy.
We thank you again for your collective support for Philadelphia.
Regards,
Ashley
Ashley Del Bianco

Cell:

Cc: Andrew Richman <Andrew.Richman@phila.gov>; Marc Solomon <msolomon@civitaspublicaffairs.com>; Sam Oliker-
Friedland <sam@modernelections.org>; Benjamin Field <Benjamin.Field@Phila.gov>; Nick Custodio
<Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Hill, Joseph <JHill@cozen.com>; Adam Coleman
<Adam.Coleman@Phila.gov>; James Engler <James.Engler@Phila.gov>
Hi all,
Please find an updated agreement for signature attached.
All the best,

Tiana
On Fri, Aug 21, 2020 at 9:50 AM Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov> wrote:
Tiana,
Thank you very much! I'm acknowledging receipt and we'll work to return the countersigned agreement as soon as
possible.
Ashley
Ashley Del Bianco

Cell:

Sent: Friday, August 21, 2020 9:58 AM
Cc: Andrew Richman <Andrew.Richman@phila.gov>; Marc Solomon <msolomon@civitaspublicaffairs.com>; Sam Oliker-
Friedland <sam@modernelections.org>; Benjamin Field <Benjamin.Field@Phila.gov>; Nick Custodio
Phila0049
<Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Hill, Joseph <JHill@cozen.com>; Adam Coleman
<Adam.Coleman@Phila.gov>; James Engler <James.Engler@Phila.gov>
Good morning! Please find an execution copy of the grant agreement attached. We'd like to move to disbursement
quickly, ideally with countersignature today. Does that work on your end?
A huge thanks to each of you for getting us to this point!
Best,
Tiana
On Wed, Aug 19, 2020 at 9:48 AM Marc Solomon <msolomon@civitaspublicaffairs.com> wrote:

+ Jim Engler
Andrew et al,
The “shall endeavor” language is unacceptable to the grantor. Can you please adjust to reflect that the city will
follow the agreed-to plan and return ASAP today?
Thank you.
Marc
--
Marc Solomon, Principal and National Director
Civitas Public Affairs Group
e> msolomon@civitaspublicaffairs.com
c> 323.590.1510
276 Fifth Avenue, Suite 902, New York, NY 10001
From: Andrew Richman <Andrew.Richman@phila.gov>

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at 9:47 AM
To: Marc Solomon <msolomon@civitaspublicaffairs.com>, Tiana Epps-Johnson <tiana@techandciviclife.org>
Cc: Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>, Sam Oliker-Friedland <sam@modernelections.org>,
Benjamin Field <Benjamin.Field@Phila.gov>, Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>, Lisa Deeley
<Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>, "Hill, Joseph" <JHill@cozen.com>, Adam Coleman <Adam.Coleman@Phila.gov>
Good morning Marc,
Thanks for checking in. I have attached a clean and edited version of the draft agreement for your consideration. I
believe we can get this finalized today as well. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about the
proposed edits.
Best,
Andrew
Andrew Richman
Chief of Staff to City Solicitor Marcel S. Pratt
City of Philadelphia Law Department
1515 Arch Street, 17th floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
p: 215-683-5067
e: andrew.richman@phila.gov
w: www.phila.gov/law
Pronouns: he/him
Phila0050
From: Marc Solomon <msolomon@civitaspublicaffairs.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 7:55 AM
Cc: Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>; Sam Oliker-Friedland <sam@modernelections.org>;
Andrew Richman <Andrew.Richman@phila.gov>; Benjamin Field <Benjamin.Field@Phila.gov>; Nick Custodio
<Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>; Lisa Deeley <Lisa.Deeley@Phila.gov>; Hill, Joseph <JHill@cozen.com>
Ashley,
Can you please provide a status update on the written agreement?
We’d like to get this finalized and signed today.
Thank you.
Marc
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 13, 2020, at 4:58 PM, Tiana Epps-Johnson <tiana@techandciviclife.org> wrote:
Thank you, Ashley.
You can find a revised agreement for your review attached. These edits are intended to encapsulate
our conversation this morning. Specifically, they clarify that the agreement is solely intended to guide
actions with the control of the city and the Commissioners, that nothing in the agreement requires any
action inconsistent with state or federal law, and clarifies communication requirements without being
overly prescriptive.
Note: the language in paragraph 8 is a suggestion based on what was circulated, but we are very open
to alternate suggestions.
Best,
Tiana
On Thu, Aug 13, 2020 at 12:48 PM Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov> wrote:
Thank you all again for the call today to discuss potential revisions to the draft agreement.
As agreed, I'm sharing some language/definitions for the concept of non-supplantation. This would
be relevant for section #8. Please see the language below my signature.
Best,
Ashley
Ashley Del Bianco

Cell:
The recipient may not use the grant funds to pay for services that, in the absence of grant funds,
would be necessary to be provided by the City of Philadelphia's general operating budget
• Grant funds may be used only to supplement the election administration generally offered with
state and local funds. • They may be used only to provide supplemental services that would not have
been provided had the grant funds not been available.
Federal definition of supplanting:
Phila0051
Supplanting: a state or unit of local government reduces state or local funds for an activity
specifically because federal funds are available (or expected to be available) to fund that same
activity. When supplanting is not permitted, federal funds must be used
to supplement existing state or local funds for program activities and may not replace state or
local funds that have been appropriated or allocated for the same purpose. Additionally,
federal funding may not replace state or local funding that is required by law. If a question of
supplanting arises, the applicant or grantee will be required to substantiate that the reduction
in non-federal resources occurred for reasons other than the receipt or expected receipt of
federal funds.

To: Sam Oliker-Friedland <sam@modernelections.org>
Cc: Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>; Hill, Joseph <JHill@cozen.com>; Marc
Solomon <msolomon@civitaspublicaffairs.com>
External Email Notice. This email comes from outside of City government. Do not click on links or
open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
Hi Ashley,
Great to meet you. Please find the draft agreement for the City of Philadelphia attached for your
review.
Best,
Tiana
On Fri, Aug 7, 2020 at 6:16 PM Sam Oliker-Friedland <sam@modernelections.org> wrote:
Ashley,
I've added Tiana Epps-Johnson, Executive Director of the Center for Tech and Civic life to this
chain. She can share a draft agreement with you.
Best,
Sam
On Fri, Aug 7, 2020 at 3:52 PM Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov> wrote:
Sam, Marc and Joe,

Thank you for the helpful conversation the other day, and we in Philadelphia sincerely
appreciate your efforts to support the Commissioners' election security and efficiency efforts.
If I may ask you to share a grant agreement (draft form is fine), we can begin to review and
clarify anything. We are eager to facilitate the process.
I will be away this Monday, but checking email, so please feel free to contact me along the
way.
Thanks again,
Ashley
Ashley Del Bianco

Cell:
Phila0052
From: Hill, Joseph <JHill@cozen.com>
To: Sam Oliker-Friedland <sam@modernelections.org>; Marc Solomon
<msolomon@civitaspublicaffairs.com>; Ashley Del Bianco <Ashley.DelBianco@phila.gov>
Subject: Connecting re: Philadelphia Grant Opportunity
External Email Notice. This email comes from outside of City government. Do not click on links
or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
Ashley, Sam, and Marc—
Connecting you all by way of this email. Thanks everyone for your help.
Best,
Joe
Joseph Hill
Principal | Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies
One Liberty Place, 1650 Market Street Suite 2800 | Philadelphia, PA 19103
P: 215-665-2065
Email | Bio | Map | cozen.com
Notice: This communication, including attachments, may contain information that is

confidential and protected by the attorney/client or other privileges. It constitutes non-
public information intended to be conveyed only to the designated recipient(s). If the reader
or recipient of this communication is not the intended recipient, an employee or agent of the
intended recipient who is responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, or you
believe that you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender
immediately by return e-mail and promptly delete this e-mail, including attachments without
reading or saving them in any manner. The unauthorized use, dissemination, distribution, or
reproduction of this e-mail, including attachments, is prohibited and may be unlawful.
Receipt by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is not a waiver of any attorney/client
or other privilege.
--
Sam Oliker-Friedland
Chief Counsel
Center for Secure and Modern Elections
(414) 736-0959
The contents of this email are confidential, intended for the recipient only, and may be legally protected from disclosure.
Please do not forward or disclose any information contained in this message without permission from the sender.
--
Tiana Epps-Johnson | Founder & Executive Director, Center for Tech and Civic Life | (650) 796-
4695 | tiana@techandciviclife.org | she/her
--
<Draft Philadelphia CTCL Grant Aug 13 Edits.docx>
--
Tiana Epps-Johnson | Founder & Executive Director, Center for Tech and Civic Life | tiana@techandciviclife.org |
she/her
Phila0053
--
Tiana Epps-Johnson | Founder & Executive Director, Center for Tech and Civic Life | tiana@techandciviclife.org |
she/her
Phila0054
Zuckerberg money used to pay election
judges, grow vote in Democrat
stronghold, memos reveal
Grant application turned over under federal court order
quadruples polling places from primary, promises as
many as 800,000 votes from city in November. Only
675,000 voted in 2016.
Documents produced by the city of Philadelphia under a federal court order show
millions of dollars in nonprofit grant money donated by Facebook founder Mark
Zuckerberg is being used to quadruple the number of voting places and massively
grow the number of ballots cast in the Democratic stronghold on Nov. 3.
The memos were turned over in a federal lawsuit filed by the conservative Thomas
More Society, and they detail how city election officials filed a grant request in
August to the Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) by
promising to open 800 polling places and grow voting to as many as 800,000 ballots
cast in the general election.
The number of promised polling places is more than four times the 190 polling
places opened during the city's pandemic-affected primary earlier this year, and the
promised turnout is estimated to be as many as 120,000 voters larger than the 2016
presidential election, which drew about 680,000 voters. About 80% of the vote went
to Democrats in 2016 in the city.
"The Office of the City Commissioners understands CTCL's interest in maximizing

the number of polling locations and will work to identify over 800 locations," states
the city application seeking $10 million for the fall election.
Philadelphia CTCL Grant plan.pdf
Zuckerberg announced several weeks ago he has donated $250 million to CTCL to
help local governments across the country hold elections this fall in the midst of the
pandemic. He has since augmented that amount with another $100 million in recent
days.
But the Thomas More Society and its lead counsel Phill Kline have filed lawsuits
against several of the jurisdictions receiving CTCL grants, arguing the money is
wrongly privatizing an election function that should be handled entirely by
government and that the grants are targeting mostly Democratic strongholds, raising
questions of election interference.
Kline, director of Thomas More's Amistad Society Project, told Just the News that of
the top 20 CTCL grants, amounting to $63 million, only one for $289,000 has gone
to a county Trump won in 2016.
A federal judge in Pennsylvania recently ordered Philadelphia officials to produce

records on how it applied for and won its $10 million grant, and the first records
produced indicate the city is using the Zuckerberg money to compensate poll workers
with "hazard pay," including election judges who decide ballot integrity issues.
More than $5 million of the grant is allowing the city to buy equipment to process
increased mail-in and absentee ballots due to COVID-19, while $3.6 million is being
used to open extra "satellite election offices" for early voting and in-person voting on
Election Day.
"A voter can go to any satellite office and register to vote, if needed, request a mail-in
ballot in-person, receive it, vote, and return it all at the same location," the grant
application explained. The early voting efforts also include drop boxes, because
"installing at least 15 secure, 24-hour drop boxes at each early vote location will help
ensure that voters have some opportunity to return their ballots if it may be too late to
send via" mail, the application added.
In justifying one item for which funds were sought, the grant application stated
that "a full, 5-member Election Board (Judge of Elections, two Inspectors of
Election, one Clerk, and one Machine Inspector) will require recruiting, training, and
assigning up to 8,515 poll workers (1,703 divisions x 5 Election Board members)."
The Philadelphia records are the first released under the lawsuits to detail how
juridictions are spending the money and the specific promises they are making to
secure the grants.
When CTCL approved the grant and wired the money it made clear it had the right to
rescind monies if the goals fell short.
"CTCL may discontinue, withhold part of, or request the return of all or part of any
unspent Grant funds if it determines, that any of the above conditions have not been
met," the approval letter states.
CTCLPhillyApprovalLetter.pdf
A spokesperson for CTCL and the city of Philadelphia did not immediately return a
call seeking comment Monday evening concerning the documents.
Kline told Just the News the newly released documents confirm his group's
suspicions that Zuckerberg's funding is designed more to improve Democrat turnout
in a key battleground state like Pennsylvania than to address the COVID-19 crisis.
"This privatization of elections undermines the integrity of the election by using

government to play favorites," he said. "Government targeting a demographic to
increase turnout is the opposite side of the same coin as government targeting a
demographic to suppress the vote."
"Moreover, this is occurring as blue state governors have made it harder to vote with
new COVID restrictions on in-person voting," he added.
Zuckerberg pours $250 million into
group funding voting drives in
Wisconsin Democratic strongholds
Group will fund "local election jurisdictions across the
country."
Facebook's billionaire founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have
gifted a quarter of a billion dollars to an election activist group pushing major
government voting initiatives in several Democratic strongholds in the battleground
state of Wisconsin.
The Center for Tech and Civic Life, a group which styles itself as "a team of civic
technologists, trainers, researchers, election administration and data experts working
to foster a more informed and engaged democracy, and helping to modernize U.S.
elections," announced on Tuesday that it had received $250 million from Zuckerberg
and Chan.
The organization plans to "regrant [the money] to local election jurisdictions across
the country to help ensure that they have the staffing, training, and equipment
necessary so that this November every eligible voter can participate in a safe and
timely way and have their vote counted."
Notably, the CTCL has already poured a significant sum of money into a voting
initiative in five Wisconsin cities. The organization announced in early July that it
had partnered with the cities to implement the Wisconsin Safe Voting Plan, a "vision
for a safe, inclusive, and secure voting process in 2020 elections" proposed by the
mayors of those cities.
The mayors of Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, and Racine requested and
received a collective $6.3 million from the organization in order to facilitate their
respective election machines. A plurality of those funds — about 40% — went to
support both vote-by-mail and early voting efforts. Around a million dollars went to
"voter outreach and education efforts."
The Center for Tech and Civic Life last month also distributed a $10 million grant to
the city of Philadelphia for a similar initiative. The city in its grant request pledged to
spend over half of those funds on "mail-in and absentee and processing equipment,"
along with roughly a quarter of the grant on "satellite election offices for in-person
mail-in voting."
Organization appears to target Democratic strongholds
The Center's major outreach efforts this election year appear as of this week to target
predominantly Democratic strongholds. The five Wisconsin cities and Philadelphia
all have extensive histories of voting for Democrats; five of the six municipalities
voted in favor of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election, with only Kenosha going
for Trump, by a razor-thin margin.
The CTCL did not respond to queries on Thursday asking if they've launched
initiatives in other cities. Just the News also asked if the group had had any input or
oversight into the development of the Wisconsin Safe Voting Plan.
The organization last month did announce a "COVID-19 Response Rural Grant
Program," one that will seek to implement "safe voting options in jurisdictions of all
sizes across the country." The group said it will prioritize "jurisdictions that are
required to provide language assistance under section 203 of the Voting Rights Act
and have a higher percentage of historically disenfranchised residents," as well as
"jurisdictions in states that have recently changed absentee voting laws or rules in
response to COVID-19."
As of Thursday, the CTCL had not yet announced any specific jurisdictions that
would be funded under that program.
Phill Kline, the director of the Amistad Project at the conservative Thomas More
Society law firm in Chicago, said his organization, working alongside the grassroots
conservative group GotFreedom, "anticipates filing our first suit on these issues next
week in Wisconsin."
Kline said the arrangement of a private nonprofit group influencing election policy
appears unseemly and possibly illegal.
"It's the legislature, under the Constitution, that determines the time, place and
manner of an election," Kline told Just the News on Thursday. "It's not bad that Mr.
Zuckerberg wants to increase voter turnout. That's fine. He can spend it
independently of government."
But election funds "should be appropriated by the state legislature and spent
consistent with state laws," he continued, "as the Constitution specifically delegates
the task of determining the time, place and manner of elections to the state
legislatures."
"If Mr. Zuckerberg wants that money spent appropriately, he can just give it to the
state," Kline added.
Though the Center for Tech and Civic Life styles itself as nonpartisan, the
conservative watchdog group InfluenceWatch identifies it as a "center-left election
reform advocacy group."
Two of its executives — Whitney May and Donny Bridges — both used to work at
the progressive New Organizing Institute in Washington, D.C. Its founder, Tiana
Epps-Johnson, meanwhile, was the election administration director for that group.
The group has also in the past partnered with Rock the Vote, a progressive grassroots
organization, as well as the liberal group Women Donors Network.
Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan
donate $100M to help election security
By Elizabeth Rosner
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced
on Tuesday an additional $100 million donation to help with election security.
The funds will support Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) “to make sure that
every jurisdiction that needs funding to help people vote safely can get it,”
Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
“Between Covid and insufficient public funding for elections, there are
unprecedented challenges for election officials working to make sure everyone can
vote safely this year,” Zuckerberg said.
Last month the couple donated $300 million to CTCL – to support election officials
with the infrastructure they need to administer the vote – including voting equipment,
PPE for poll workers and hiring additional poll staff.
Center for Tech and Civic Life is a non-partisan non-profit that works to “foster a
more informed and engaged democracy, and helping to modernize U.S. elections,”
according to its website.
To date, 2,100 local election jurisdictions have submitted applications to CTCL for
support, according to Zuckerberg.
“Since our initial donation, there have been multiple lawsuits filed in an attempt to
block these funds from being used, based on claims that the organizations receiving
donations have a partisan agenda,” posted Zuckerberg.
He said those claims are false.
“These funds will serve communities throughout the country — urban, rural and
suburban – and are being allocated by non-partisan organizations.”
Zuckerberg agrees with those who say that the government should have provided
these funds, not private citizens.
“I hope that for future elections the government provides adequate funding. But
absent that funding, I think it’s critical that this urgent need is met. Voting is voice,
and we believe every American should have the chance to make their voice heard in
this election.”
Meanwhile, Facebook will begin taking down Holocaust denial posts, reversing its
long-held stance against policing the anti-Semitic content. The company will start
banning ads that explicitly discourage people from getting vaccinated, the world’s
largest social media company said Tuesday, as it also announced a new flu vaccine
information campaign.
Elections 2020JudicialLocal News
Federal Lawsuit Filed Over Zuckerberg Grants for Texas Elections
A federal lawsuit seeks to block more than $25 million in private grants targeting elections in heavily Democrat
counties in Texas. Plainti!s say the grants create an illegal public-private partnership and promote progressive
candidates.
HOLLY HANSENOCTOBER 9, 2020

Photo by Anthony Quintano
A group of voters have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block unregulated private grants awarded to elections administrations in several
Texas counties.
The target of the lawsuit and petition for injunction is the Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL), a non-profit organization based in
Chicago and heavily funded by Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan with the purpose of helping local officials to provide “safe” elections
under COVID-19 conditions.
Dallas and Harris counties have accepted grants of $15.1 million and $9.6 million respectively from CTCL, although some elected officials
have expressed concern over the grants, with Dallas County Commissioner J.J. Koch (R) calling the grant a “thinly veiled” get-out-the-vote
effort for Democrats.
Both Hays and Hopkins counties have also received grants of $298,000 and $19,952, bringing the total injected into Texas elections to more
than $25 million.
Filed by the Texas Voters Alliance, Warren Johnson, Alan Vera, Russell Hayter, and Donnie Wisenbaker in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern
District of Texas, the suit asserts that the grants violate federal election law which places “states” not local governments in charge of federal
elections.
Since the counties accepting the grants are not “states,” plaintiffs argue these local governments have exceeded their legal authority in
forming what is essentially a public-private partnership with CTCL for federal election administration. They note that the Help America Vote
Act funds allocated in 2019 along with CARES Act monies have provided more than $800 million in additional funds distributed to cities and
counties conducting elections this year, and that local officials are bound by federal election law.
The suit also notes that CTCL has targeted counties and cities with progressive voter patterns and alleges the grants are designed to help
progressive candidates win.
Although CTCL claims to be non-partisan, founder Tiana Epps-Johnson is the former elections administrator for the New Organizing Institute
(NOI), a non-profit that developed digital strategy for progressive campaigns. The lawsuit takes note of CTCL’s connections to NOI and other
progressive groups, such as the Skoll Foundation, the Democracy Fund, and the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation.
The filing provides details from the CTCL grant application listing activities to be funded, including the expansion of drive-thru voting, the
publication of voter education materials prior to the election, and additional staff and technology to provide mail ballot processing. The
application also states that recipient counties must provide written reports detailing the election administration’s operations and
expenditures.
Lawsuits seeking to block CTCL and other private grants have been filed in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin by the Thomas
More Society along with election integrity watchdog group True the Vote.
Although not a party to the lawsuit, True the Vote founder and president Catherine Engelbrecht expressed support for the legal action.
“Elections offices shouldn’t be allowed to take private money to fund elections operations. In this case, the money is clearly coming from and
going to support progressive interests. True the Vote supports the effort to prevent the privatization of the election process,” Englelbrecht
told The Texan.
In Louisiana last week, Attorney General Jeff Landry requested a permanent injunction against the grants calling them “a corrosive influence
of outside money on Louisiana election officials.” Landry specifically noted that the grants required local government officials to agree to
terms, conditions, and limitations dictated by CTCL. Election officials in 26 jurisdictions in the state subsequently withdrew applications for
the CTCL funds.
In addition to CTCL, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has also provided a $250,000 private grant to elections officials in
Cameron County, Texas.
Schwarzenegger has been providing grants to areas formerly covered by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, including Cameron. The county is
reliably Democrat and chose Hillary Clinton by 65 percent in 2016. Due to historically low voter turnout, Democrats and the Biden-Harris
campaign have targeted Cameron and other border counties in the hopes that increased participation will tip the state in Biden’s favor.
One notable member of the CTCL Advisory Committee is controversial Dallas County Elections Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole.
Commissioner Koch called on her to resign after 44 thumb drives amounting to more than 9,000 votes were lost on election night during the
2020 primaries. Pippins-Poole announced earlier this year that she would resign on November 30, after the general election.
The Texas Voters Alliance says their objective is to ensure “public confidence in the integrity of Texas’ elections, in election results and
election systems, processes, procedures, and enforcement, and that public officials act in accordance with the law in exercising their
obligations to the people of the State of Texas.”
Disclosure: Unlike almost every other media outlet, The Texan is not beholden to any special interests, does not apply for any type of state or federal
funding, and relies exclusively on its readers for financial support. If you’d like to become one of the people we’re financially accountable to, click here
to subscribe.
Get “KB's Hot Take”
A free bi-weekly commentary on current events by Konni Burton.

Biden works to push Black turnout in
campaign’s final days
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joe Biden was spending the final days of the presidential
campaign appealing to Black supporters to vote in-person during a pandemic that has
disproportionally affected their communities, betting that a strong turnout will boost
his chances in states that could decide the election.
Biden was in Philadelphia on Sunday, the largest city in what is emerging as the most
hotly contested battleground in the closing 48 hours of the campaign. He participated
in a “souls to the polls” event that is part of a nationwide effort to organize Black
churchgoers to vote.
“Every single day we’re seeing race-based disparities in every aspect of this virus,”
Biden said at the drive-in event, shouting to be heard over the blaring car horns. He
declared that Trump’s handling of COVID-19 was “almost criminal” and that the
pandemic was a “mass casualty event in the Black community.”
His running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, was in Georgia, a longtime Republican
stronghold that Democrats believe could flip if Black voters show up in force. The
first Black woman on a major party’s presidential ticket, she encouraged a racially
diverse crowd in a rapidly growing Atlanta suburb to “honor the ancestors” by
voting, invoking the memory of the late civil rights legend, longtime Rep. John
Lewis. She later campaigned in Goldsboro and Fayetteville, North Carolina, two
cities with a large share of Black voters.
But even as 93 million Americans have cast ballots and election officials prepare to
count, President Donald Trump was already threatening litigation to stop the
tabulation of ballots arriving after Election Day. As soon as polls closed in
battlegrounds such as Pennsylvania, Trump said, “we’re going in with our lawyers.”
It was unclear precisely what Trump meant. There is already an appeal pending at the
Supreme Court over the counting of absentee ballots in Pennsylvania that are
received in the mail in the three days after the election.
The state’s top court ordered the extension and the Supreme Court refused to block it,
though conservative justices expressed interest in taking up the propriety of the three
added days after the election. Those ballots are being kept separate in case the
litigation goes forward. The issue could assume enormous importance if the late-
arriving ballots could tip the outcome.
Biden is focusing on turning out Black voters in the final stretch in part to avoid a
narrow outcome that could prompt Trump to seek an advantage in the courts.
It’s a challenging dynamic because Democrats have spent months pushing their
supporters to vote by mail. But their energy has shifted to urge Black supporters who
have long preferred to vote in person or distrust voting by mail to get out on Tuesday.
A Biden path toward victory must include Black majority cities, including
Philadelphia and Detroit, which will be crucial in determining the outcome in
Pennsylvania and Michigan. Those are states where both candidates have spent a
significant amount of time in the final days of the 2020 election.
“The historical but also cultural reality for our community is that Election Day
represents a collective political act and it’s a continuation of our struggle for full
citizenship in this country,” said Adrianne Shropshire, the executive director of
BlackPAC. “Black voters are showing up in ways that they did not in 2016 and we
can take heart in that.”
In Detroit, officials are projecting a 50% voter turnout, which would be higher than
2016, yet lower than 2008 and 2012 when Obama’s candidacy drew record voter
participation. Grassroots organizers in the Philadelphia area have spent months
engaging potential voters, many of whom they expect will be casting ballots for the
first time on Election Day.
“Most Black voters in Philly have been skeptical of mail-in voting,” said Joe Hill, a
veteran Democratic operative-turned-lobbyist from the city. “A lot of us have gotten
our ballots already,” Hill said, but added, “Election Day has always been everything
in Philadelphia.”
Healthcare Pennsylvania, a local union chapter of the Service Employees

International Union, is working to increase turnout by at least 10,000 in west
Philadelphia and spent the weekend knocking on more than 600 doors. West
Philadelphia has a majority Black population and has experienced firsthand the
convergence of the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on Black Americans and
protests in recent days against police brutality, mirroring what’s occurred nationwide.
Biden has also drawn a sharp contrast to Trump through a summer of unrest over the
police killings of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Their deaths sparked the largest protest movement since the civil rights era. Biden
responded by acknowledging the systemic racism that pervades American life, while
Trump emphasized his support of police and pivoted to a “law and order” message
that resonated with his base but did little to broaden his appeal.
Four years ago, Trump made his pitch to voters of color by bellowing “What have
you got to lose?” in supporting the Republican candidate and aides have pointed to
pre-pandemic economic gains by people of color.
He only won 8% of the Black vote, but in a development that has haunted Democrats
for four years, Clinton’s margin fell 7 percentage points from Obama’s in 2012,
according to Pew Research Center.
There’s little chance that Trump will win all that many more Black voters this year,
though his campaign believes it has made inroads with young Black men. The
president’s primary strategy has been to erode Biden’s support with a barrage of
negative advertisements.
One replays Biden’s eyebrow-raising “you ain’t Black” comment, in which the
former vice president questioned how African Americans could support Trump.
Another uses the Democrat’s own past words in support of the 1994 crime bill
against him. The bill, which Biden helped write, led to stiffer prison sentences that
disproportionately incarcerated Black men.
Trump, in a tweet Sunday, claimed that Biden called young Black man
“superpredators” — which he did not do, though he used the term “predators” in a
1993 floor speech to describe criminals.
Biden, who has a massive cash advantage over Trump, has flooded the airwaves with
uplifting ads that prominently feature African Americans. One minute-long spot
detailing Biden’s proposals to help Black people begins with Biden explicitly stating,
“Black lives matter. Period. I’m not afraid to say it.”
___
Lemire reported from Washington, Stafford from Detroit and Miller from Charlotte.
Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Mark Sherman and Brian
Slodysko in Washington contributed to this report.
___
AP’s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early, by mail or
absentee from each state: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/

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Alinsky-esque Collusion: CTCL & Democrat Precincts

In these extraordinary circumstances, to deliver a smooth voting process and a satisfactory

Mail-in and Absentee and Processing Equipment $5,500,554

Mail-in and Absentee Equipment

Total cost Units Unit costs

Satellite Election Offices and Ballot Drop-off Options

Staffed by trained elections staff and in a municipal or county-owned or leased property

Cost per additional satellite location is as follows:

Item Quantity Base Total

Team Leader (4) @ $56,000 each= $224,000

Total cost Units Unit costs

Secure Dropbox $150,000 15 $10,000

Ballot Collection Team

Security needs $250,000

In-person Voting at Polling Places on Election Day

Total cost Units Unit costs

Philadelphia OIT_Proposal to CTCL_10_8_20.docx

Ashley Del Bianco

To whom it may concern:

The following is a description of the Grant:

AMOUNT OF GRANT: Ten million, sixteen thousand and seventy-four US dollars

6. The City shall expend Grant funds as follows:

i. The City and the City Commissioners (“the Commissioners”) have

CENTER FOR TECH & CIVIC LIFE

iv. Grantor shall not unreasonably withhold agreement to modify any

CENTER FOR TECH & CIVIC LIFE

Your acceptance of these agreements should be indicated below. Please have an

On behalf of CTCL, I extend my best wishes in your work.

Tiana Epps Johnson

Ashley Del Bianco, Chief Grants Officer

CENTER FOR TECH & CIVIC LIFE

Mail-in and Absentee and Processing Equipment $5,500,554

Mail-in and Absentee Equipment

Total cost Units Unit costs

Satellite Election Offices and Ballot Drop-off Options

● Staffed by trained elections staff and in a municipal or county-owned or leased property

Cost per additional satellite location is as follows:

Item Quantity Base Total

Team Leader (4) @ $56,000 each= $224,000

Total cost Units Unit costs

Secure Dropbox $150,000 15 $10,000

Ballot Collection Team

Security needs $250,000

In-person Voting at Polling Places on Election Day

Thank you so much !

From: Tiana Epps-Johnson <tiana@techandciviclife.org>

Here's an agenda of what we hope to cover together in this initial conversation:

On Fri, Aug 7, 2020 at 7:52 PM Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@phila.gov> wrote:

From: Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>

From: Tiana Epps-Johnson <tiana@techandciviclife.org>

Who from Philadelphia should be included in that first call?

All the best,

On Fri, Aug 7, 2020 at 2:10 PM Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@phila.gov> wrote:

We look forward to discussing the attached request.

Thank you for the consideration,

Here's an agenda of what we hope to cover together in this initial conversation:

Introductions: Learn who’s “in the room”

On Fri, Aug 7, 2020 at 7:52 PM Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@phila.gov> wrote:

From: Nick Custodio <Nick.Custodio@Phila.gov>

From: Tiana Epps-Johnson <tiana@techandciviclife.org>

Who from Philadelphia should be included in that first call?

All the best,