Wisconsin Senate Bill SB924

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/26
• Refer: 2/6/26
• Failed: 3/23/26

Caption

An Act to create 5.05 (11r) and 20.510 (1) (ff) of the statutes; Relating to: grants for the purchase of election supplies and equipment and making an appropriation. (FE)

Summary

SB924 would create a state grant program administered by the Wisconsin Elections Commission to help municipalities buy election supplies and equipment. Eligible purchases include items such as electronic poll books and accessibility-related supplies and equipment. The bill sets tiered biennial grant caps based on municipal population, with larger municipalities eligible for larger maximum awards, and requires that applications be submitted at least 180 days before a general election. The bill also allows counties to apply for grants on behalf of municipalities and, if authorized, to administer the grant for the municipality. To receive funding, a municipality must agree to at least one random inspection of the purchased supplies and equipment by the commission. The commission would also be required to complete an audit of the grant program within 90 days after each general election and report the results to the legislature. The bill appropriates $5 million in each of the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years for the program.

Impact

SB924 would add new statutory authority in chapter 5 for the Elections Commission to award local aid grants for election supplies and equipment and would create a corresponding appropriation in chapter 20. It would directly affect municipalities and counties seeking funding for election administration needs, while also imposing oversight conditions through inspections and post-election audits. The bill would expand state support for local election infrastructure, especially for equipment tied to accessibility and polling-place administration.

Sentiment

The available record shows the bill was introduced with substantial bipartisan-looking sponsorship in the Legislature, including multiple senators and representatives, suggesting broad interest in supporting local election administration. However, there is no committee transcript or recorded vote information provided, so the detailed debate and level of support or opposition cannot be assessed from the supplied materials. The bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

Contention

The main policy questions likely concern whether the state should fund local election equipment purchases, how much oversight should accompany those grants, and whether the appropriation level is appropriate. The bill’s inspection and audit requirements may appeal to those seeking accountability, but they could also be viewed as administrative burdens by municipalities. Another possible point of contention is the distribution formula, which gives larger population municipalities higher maximum grant amounts, and the role of counties in applying for or administering grants on behalf of municipalities.