Yes, the media is controlled by corporate interests. Since the suspension of both the Fairness Doctrine as well as the Equal Time Act, there is no rule requiring the media to present all aspects of an issue or political candidate equally. I believe today's media may be considered more "info-tainment" than straight fact. I'm no Edward R. Murrow but it does sometimes shock me what the media presents as 'fact'.
Voting in the USA is somewhat transparent. While you may not be able to track your individual vote (the ballot does not contain your name), in our state votes are tracked with paper backup as well as computer tabulation. Records are kept of who voted (but not what their vote was) and if the number of people who voted does NOT equal the number of ballots, there is a full investigation.
So I can track whether my vote was tabulated, but no one but me will know how I cast my vote.
And yes, you are correct in there are more than 2 presidential candidates listed on the ballot. I think it's fair to say that there are only two candidates with a realistic shot at gathering enough votes/delegates to secure the majority win...As a "winner take all" country, rather than a more parlimentary system, we tend to ignore those candidates with no statistical chance of advancing.
