Much ink, including a good deal of my own, has been spilled on the excesses of super-charged, toxic partisanship in this current era. Except for true believers along with those who profit from this all-consuming poison, there is broad agreement that it needs to be toned way down and dialed far back.

The nearly 51% of Colorado voters who have opted not to affiliate with either party speak to the widespread disdain for the venomous status quo. This number has increased steadily over recent years, and the trend shows no signs of abating.

The broad consensus is clear: reduce, even minimize, the burning division. The challenge lies in how to make this happen in a meaningful and practical way.

Let me propose a couple of places to start.

Again, with the exception of the most distorted among us, I suspect there is broad, even overwhelming, agreement that elections should be managed in a fair, even-handed, nonpartisan manner.

Which begs the question of why we select those top election officials, specifically the Colorado Secretary of State and county clerks, on a partisan basis.

All around us, we witness the perils of the hyper-politicization of the election process. As usual, it starts with the current occupant of the Oval Office and his “perfect” phone call back in 2020 to the Georgia Secretary of State asking him to find 11,780 votes. Election interference does not get much more blatant.

Staring at what could well be a difficult mid-term election, President Donald Trump, with a track record of not being exactly shy about meddling with election infrastructure, is openly talking of “nationalizing” this November’s affair.

We will see what the courts say about that. Though it would appear to be in direct violation of vast amounts of law and tradition, giving that responsibility for the conduct of elections to the 50 states.

While Trump may be the abuser-in-chief, he is not alone in injecting raw partisanship into what should be an ultimately straightforward, impartial process.

Here at home, Democrat Jena Griswold has been the most stridently political Secretary of State anyone can recall. Even as a dishonorable mention in this context goes to Republican Scott Gessler, who held the office more than a decade back.

Then, of course, there were the exploits of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, which earned her an extended stay in the Colorado prison system.

Each side points across the aisle at their hated opposites as being responsible for injecting raw politics into the administration and oversight of elections. Partisans are programmed to never point the finger inward.

Here’s the suggestion, rather elemental when you think about it. Why not hold elections for Secretary of State and county clerk positions on a nonpartisan basis and remove the D or R following the name of each candidate?

This would put the premium on skills, character and a commitment to fairness while taking away the rewards for blind party loyalty and cheerleading. What’s not to like about that?

While we are in the reform mood and seeking to remove the partisanship from offices where it has no place, let’s turn to elected jobs in law enforcement. Specifically, why do candidates for Colorado’s 23 district attorney positions and 62 county sheriffs (Denver and Broomfield excluded) run as members of Team Red or Team Blue?

Is there a Democratic way of prosecuting auto theft or a Republican approach to juvenile diversion? Does a Democratic county sheriff differ from a Republican counterpart in how they incarcerate or transport inmates?

Clearly, the answer is no. Accordingly, why force such candidates and officeholders, in most cases, professional people as opposed to politicians, into a partisan box? How does that in any way advance the cause of justice?

Those who run our elections and those who enforce our laws essentially function as neutrals and referees. One group serves as the essential backbone of our democracy; the other has the job of safeguarding the fair and equal enforcement of our laws. We can aid in their impartiality by removing the partisan stripes from their uniforms.

Let us hope that those who fund and promote notable election reforms efforts in these parts look at such suggestions and step up to the plate. We will never get to the larger, more difficult tasks if we fail to first handle the easy, obvious stuff and pick off such low-hanging fruit.

Steroidal partisanship is the biggest contributor to our dysfunctional politics and the largest roadblock to solving our myriad problems. It is bad enough in those positions that will always have a partisan element. The least we can do is get rid of it in those other offices where it simply has no place.

Eric Sondermann is a Colorado-based independent political commentator. He writes regularly for Colorado Politics and The Gazette. Reach him at EWS@EricSondermann.com; follow him at @EricSondermann