The Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) is reporting that 60% of the 149 recount sites have revealed discrepancies between the numbers originally entered on the tally sheets and the true vote count. The magnitude of some of the irregularities goes beyond human error. In some precincts, ballot boxes that were to be sealed and locked up were found opened. In other precincts, the number of votes exceeded the number of ballots handed out. Errors of counting or procedure have turned up at thousands of precincts.
Translation provided by el cid's diary at dkos.
The coalition Por el Bien de Todos assured that in the recount of 4,238 ballot packets -- of which 6,566 had been counted through yesterday -- there exist 132,206 "altered" votes, not only because in a bit more than half of the polling stations there were found more votes recorded than paper ballots stored, but because the remainder had been removed [illegally accessed through the seal?].
The PRD reported that the 60% of the sealed ballot packets that are being recounted, more than 40,000 votes had surfaced, 60,000 ballots have mysteriously disappeared, and another 100,000 have been "significantly altered."
According to El Universal, in Durango, for example, officials opened one box only to find the ballot box empty.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador has also said that with all those errors that have been found in the partial recount of votes from the presidential election, the top electoral court will have to declare him president-elect.
However, Felipe Calderón, PAN, and the IFE all seem to be in a state of denial. PAN is claiming that the errors found are only minor and statistically on represents 25% not the 60% the PRD are claiming.
But Germán Martínez of the National Action Party (PAN) put the number of polling sites with altered vote counts at 25 percent. And those with errors involving five or more votes totaled only 3 percent, he said.
Duarte, who like Martínez is his party´s liaison to the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE), said even his rival´s figures would be significant. "The PAN is saying that the changes aren´t important," Duarte told reporters Friday. "But we have to remember that the difference in the IFE vote count comes to only 1.8 votes per polling station."
On an interesting note, a small video by TV Ciudadana (Civic TV) could be found on YouTude showing a group of PANistas blocking the international observers from doing their job on observing the election process.
Interestingly, it was reported that international observers had described Mexico's electoral procedures and the work of the IFE as being exemplary.
