SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - Halloween evolved from the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), when it was believed that the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred and the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. While the tradition has radically changed over the years, we now celebrate something similar on the second Tuesday of November every even year: Election Day.

WICHITA, KAN. - The three candidates in the Kansas governor's election shared the same stage Tuesday during the KSNT gubernatorial debate. During the debate, independent candidate Greg Orman called out what he sees as corruption in the Kansas government, saying politicians have "sold our government."

The discussion came up after moderators played one of his TV ads:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlYl79pw9DE

As the inked dried on the new opioid fighting-bill, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, tech leaders offered to pledge their support to help stop an opioid epidemic that killed more than 48,000 Americans in 2017.

The law expands access to drug treatment and prevention programs across federal agencies and moves to block shipments of drugs such as opioids and the very dangerous fentanyl from entering the country.

SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE -  Two of the three gubernatorial candidates on the ballot for Maine governor squared off in a radio debate Monday, hosted by WGAN. The debate featured independent Terry Hayes and Republican Shawn Moody. Democrat Janet Mills canceled her appearance in the debate.

Credit: News Radio WGAN

From the beginning of the debate, Hayes made a clear distinction between herself and her opponents: "I am not a partisan."

Team sports and competition are popular, from baseball to mixed martial arts. However, our politics are increasingly filled with partisan rancor, and unfortunately, despite Americans disassociating with the two major parties in large numbers, positions are increasingly associated with one side or the other.

Losing friends over political beliefs in the age of social media, particularly during the Trump era, is nothing new. I’ve drawn the scorn of family and friends -- many of whom came from the film and music industries -- for years since I became more libertarian.

It wouldn’t be election season without a bunch of big-money interests trying to tell you how to vote. This year, with hundreds of millions of dollars rolling into initiative campaigns over housing and health care, California has hit a new record.

The $111 million campaign against Proposition 8 on kidney dialysis clinics amounts to the most money poured into a single side of a ballot measure in the United States—at least since electronic record-keeping began in 2002, and possibly ever.

Here are three industries spending huge sums to influence your vote:

This video lists all the amazing ways the two party system has rigged elections against third party and independent candidates this year.

DENVER, COLO. - There are a lot of ballot measures to consider this year. And I know all too well how overwhelming it can be to keep up with all of the rhetoric about each issue.

But two stand out to me as simply making sense for Colorado.

https://soundcloud.com/independent-voter-podcast/calmatters-dan-walters-talks-november-election

San Diego, CALIF.- California Democrats had supermajorities in 2014 and 2016, only to lose them the next year.

Now, with Gavin Newsom in line to take Jerry Brown's seat, and record setting campaign contributions, there is a very real possibility Democrats will once again have all the power in California.