WEST OLIVE, Mich. (WOOD) — The Ottawa County clerk has withdrawn from the U.S. Alliance for Elections Excellence because it gives out private funding grants.

The Elections Division of the Ottawa County Clerk’s office had been named a finalist in the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, a nonpartisan program created to support election administration, the county said in a Tuesday release.

After the Ottawa County clerk was named a finalist, the alliance said it “intends to award significant private grant dollars directly to participating election offices,” the county said.

In response, Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck withdrew from the program, because he believes election funding should not come from private funds.

“While I value the overall stated goals of the Alliance, I firmly believe that funding for election administration must come from federal, state and local governments,” Roebuck said in the release. “Election administration is critical government infrastructure and when private individuals seek to fund election operations, it casts a shadow over public trust in the process, particularly when the resources can be tied to individuals or groups who may have also contributed to political parties or candidates.”

Roebuck has previously called for more election funding after Michigan voters passed an election proposal that, among other changes, allows for nine days of early in-person voting.

“(We need resources) in election administration – and we need those resources to come from the governments where the services are being given,” Roebuck said in a Twitter thread about his decision.