Voting lends legitimacy to the regime and the system; by participating, you’re supporting candidates who have already been vetted by the establishment.

However, if you don’t vote, the regime’s mouthpieces will claim that the electorate 'doesn't care' or that 'voters are apathetic,' when in fact the opposite may be true.

A better approach might be to cast a ballot but select 'none of the above'. This forces the system to recognise that the electorate is not apathetic, but rather considers the system itself to be illegitimate.