Rep. Scott Krug is working on election bills

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WFHR / WIRI) – Wisconsin is a swing state. We’re “purple” — both Democrats and Republicans have a reasonable shot at winning an election. And those elections are closely monitored.

Rep. Scott Krug (R-Rome), has served on the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections for the past three years. This year as Vice-Chair, he’s working across both sides of the aisle to improve voting in the state.

“ My whole goal has been to find bipartisan wins on elections that the legislature can pass, that the governor will sign,” Krug told WFHR in an interview.

In previous elections, Krug says there were things that people thought happened, that simply didn’t.

“ It’s been a huge project for me to undertake, trying to get all of the consternation, all the misinformation, all the craziness that’s around almost every election in, not only just locally statewide, but across the country,” explained Krug.

Elections cost money

Krug said he’s hearing the same thing from directors of elections across the country and Secretaries of States.

 ”There are three things elections can be, they can be cheap, they can be fast, or they can be efficient, and you can get two of the three,” says Krug.

“If you’re cheap and efficient, you’re not gonna be fast. If you’re fast and efficient, it ain’t cheap. So we’ve really tried to set out, to figure out a way we could be all three. Cheap, fast, and efficient.”

Early ballot processing could help speed up the counting process

A key component for Krug is making sure election counting is transparent.

“90% of the problems we have in elections are perception.”

Early processing for absentee ballots is high on Krug’s agenda. Currently in Wisconsin, absentee ballot processing cannot begin until Election Day.

“ The conjecture going around what early processing is versus what people think it does is the biggest bugaboo to try to get over in Wisconsin elections as 90% of the problem Is that just late night reporting, because there’s so many absentee voters, causes so much consternation.”

43 other states in the US allow early processing at some level, according to a 2024 analysis from the Center for Election, Innovation, and Research. However, no votes are counted until election day.

”Then after the machine tabulates everything, you gotta go through all the seals and all the protections in the machine. Open it all the way up into the interior and push the count button.”

Finding common ground is key

Krug said minimum hours for in-person early voting passed the state assembly by a voice vote.

“ I mean, those are the things I love to find is, you know, a way we can get a bill across the finish line that nobody votes against. And that can help expand access for people to vote in the state of Wisconsin that the governor can sign,” says Krug.

Links to election bills

Krug has introduced a variety of election bills. They include:

Assembly Bill 537 (Senate Bill 511), which requires a municipal clerk to return absentee ballots with an improper certificate back to a voter.

Assembly Bill 595 (Senate Bill 595), which requires the Wisconsin Elections Commission to hear complaints that allege that the commission itself is violating federal election rules, and other rules regarding voter registration lists.

Assembly Bill 616 (Senate Bill 625), which would provide funding to reimburse municipalities for hours the municipal clerk’s office or alternate absentee ballot site may be required by law to remain open for in-person absentee voting.

Assembly Bill 617 (Senate Bill 624), which would set rules for applying for and returning absentee ballots, central counting locations, election night reporting, court determinations of incompetency and ineligibility to vote, and preelection tests of electronic voting equipment.