Computers are at the heart of this American election in 2006. Forget elephants, Democrats, Republicans, donkeys, independents. Even gubernatorial races and hot, statewide propositions fade into the background when you mention those specialized computers we politely call "voting machines."

Its easier to get a reasoned conversation about the Iraq War, immigration or Dick Cheney. Is anybody comfortable with the current electronic voting machines that dont provide a paper trail? CNETs Anne Broache looks at the Diebold situation.

These machines are the result of a federal headlong rush to privatize vote counting in the United States. Private contractors are needed to sort through any problems that arise. The vote-count software is apparently all privately held by the machine manufacturers, not revealed to election officials.

Some of the criticism and worry across the Internet:

Questions have been raised about Sequoia Voting Systems, which is owned by a Venezuelan company. Venezuelas president has not been complimentary about President Bush, raising suspicions for some. Sequoia says its not connected to the Venezuelan government in any way.

Heres the recipe for how to hack a voting machine.

And a competing recipe for fixing the voting machine situation.

Then theres Robert Kennedys charge that some Ohio voting machines would let you vote only one way in 2004.

And part of Virginia is using machines that cut off the end of a candidates name.

My advice: Vote. And hope the computer you get is working properly. But dont delete your own vote.