What? There's a Nonpartisan Way to Run Elections!?  Ask any kid
who's played Monopoly—if the banker isn't a fair one, the whole
outcome of the game can change. That can lead to two different
conclusions: either the kids come up with a fair set of rules or
everyone fights to be banker the next game.  When it comes to
elections, partisans have long struggled with a similar problem:
Who should set the rules governing elections? Rather than
investing in a nonpartisan solution, for the most part, the
parties have fought to be the banker—or in this case, the
secretary of state. In 33 states, an elected, partisan secretary
of state is responsible for running elections. In eight others,
the chief election official is appointed by a partisan elected
official.   This election cycle has furnished plenty of evidence
why that can be a problem: Ohio's secretary of state has come
under intense fire for limiting early-voting hours, while in
Florida and Colorado, attempted purges of the voting rolls
raised concerns that legit