Going into the mid-term elections, public trust of incumbent candidates is in the gutter. A poll from Rasmussen Reports shows that over half of likely voters think the election system is “rigged” to favor those who currently hold elected office:

Fifty-six percent (56%) of voters say congressmen are reelected because election rules are ?rigged? to benefit the incumbents, up six points form the previous survey. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are undecided. It is worth noting that the word ?rigged? is a strong term included in this survey question. The fact that more than half the nation?s voters believe the election rules are “rigged” is a testament to the high levels of distrust in the country today.

The survey also found that two-thirds of likely voters “are not confident that their congressional representatives are guided by what?s best for their constituents.”

One caveat: voters tend to have a less favorable view of congressmen in general but a more favorable view of their congressman in particularly. Congress routinely has low approval ratings overall, yet voters keep electing the same pols. It’s a vicious cycle.

Of course, 2010 is a bit different (read: economy) and has the real potential to be a bloodbath for incumbents. Given the decided majorities Democrats hold in Congress and the state legislature, this year isn’t the best time to be in their camp.