As the November 2006 elections approach, there is growing concern about the integrity of elections with the expanded use of electronic voting systems.

These systems are supplied by corporations with ties to Republicans and there have been multiple demonstrations by experts showing the vulnerability of these machines to hacking or tampering. With this information now widely available to the public, many voters may decide not to vote, thinking the Republicans will rig the vote.

The fact that there are few decent candidates from either party adds to the inclination of voters to stay home.

However, this is exactly what those wishing to rig elections in their favor want: an apathetic, disillusioned public making their job easier by not even voting. The ruling elite, their minions, and the voters who blindly support them won't be ignoring the elections. If the dissenting segment of the population doesn't vote, then there won't even be a need to tamper with the vote count.

A thorough analysis of election results, accompanied by exit polls or subsequent follow-up polls of people who were recorded as voting, could indeed expose election rigging. The establishment�s aim is to manipulate things so that there is no attempt to investigate or verify voting outcomes as well as to keep those supporting non-establishment candidates from voting by making them think their votes will be fruitless.

Jesse Ventura became governor of Minnesota several years ago because voters recognition of him as a celebrity overrode the media reinforced belief that candidates from outside the two major parties can't win. Now, Joe Lieberman is exploiting his name recognition to seek to reclaim his Senate seat by running as an independent with the de facto support of the state's Republicans. Thus, third party candidates can win if the public goes out and votes for them.

If you don't want the criminals in power to rig the vote then your logical move is to make sure you do vote, so that they will have to expose their hand. If you give a criminal something he/she wishes to steal, then you have victimized yourself before the criminal even has a chance to try to pull of the crime.

Here in my home state of Florida, there are multiple congressional candidates running against the establishment, with those running as Democrats having almost non-existent support from the Democratic Party committees. The Independent US Senate candidate in Florida, Brian Moore, is a Progressive/Green leaning activist worthy of consideration over Bill Nelson, the Democrat who has supported Bush's phony terror war and other unconstitutional measures. Other candidates include Democrats Clint Curtis, who blew the whistle on electronic voting fraud plans by his Bush crony opponent, Tom Feeney; Bob Bowman, the retired USAF pilot and rocket scientist turned courageous 911 Truth promoter; and South Florida Democrats Michael Calderin, David Patlak, and Libertarian leaning Frank Gonzalez, who surprised the right-wing Cuban exile crony Lincoln Diaz-Balart by getting 27 percent of the vote in 2004 as a Libertarian.

Check out the candidates in your region and don't be scared away from the voting booth. Even if you have to go there and leave every race blank, it's your responsibility to record your vote or abstention. Not voting means you've already given away your power.