SEC. TOULOUSE OLIVER: I think about this one a lot. On the one hand, we should not have the arbiters of elections in our country have to run on a partisan ballot and talk about their political views outside the realm of the job (I should know, because I have had to do this multiple times!) On the other hand, election someone in a non-partisan capacity or having them appointed doesn't ensure you are removing partisanship - or other bias - from the individual's approach to the work. It may even obscure it. At least in places where SOS's and other election officials are elected in a partisan election you are able to understand more about their personal values and where they are coming from.
I do believe that all election officials should sign a code of conduct or ethics in which we pledge to not bring our partisan beliefs into the election process - that we treat the political parties, their candidates, and voters equally; that we do not personally endorse or give money to any candidate on a ballot for which we are overseeing or running the election; and that we pledge to recuse ourselves in decisions that impact our own races.