Have you ever wanted to prove the political experts wrong? Your chance has come today — Tuesday, Aug. 12 — at a polling place near you.

Have you ever complained that too much political power resides in too few hands? Today the power is yours, if you vote.

Have you ever said that political parties are too much controlled by narrow interests or extreme thinkers? You can do your own thinking and exercise your own interests in the party of your choice in today's primary election.

All three major parties — Republican, Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Independence — have nomination contests to be decided. The major contested races are for the GOP nominations for governor, U.S. Senate and Sixth District Congress, and the DFL nomination for state auditor. Numerous legislative districts also have primaries, including a closely watched race in District 60B between state Rep. Phyllis Kahn and Minneapolis school board member Mohamud Noor.

Experts say that today's election will be a low-turnout affair, and that when turnout is low, insiders hold sway over the results. It need not be so. Any U.S. citizen age 18 and older who has lived in Minnesota for at least 20 days and has completed all parts of any felony sentence can vote today.

You're not registered? You can register at the polls, with proof of residency. That can include vouching by a previously registered voter in your precinct. You can check your registration status on the secretary of state's website.

You aren't a declared member of a political party? In Minnesota, no one is. You decide in the privacy of the voting booth which party's ballot to fill out. You don't know where to vote? Check mnvotes.org, or call your county auditor or election office or, in Minneapolis, the city elections department.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. See you there.