Posted on 07/05/2006 2:12:31 PM PDT by chilepepper
MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- Mexico's leftist presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador holds a small lead in the final vote count being conducted by the Federal Electoral Institute, or IFE, based on results from 35.2% of polling stations, The Associated Press reported Wednesday afternoon.
Lopez Obrador, of the Democratic Revolution Party, or PRD, is ahead with 37.1%, while conservative Felipe Calderon of the ruling National Action Party, or PAN, has 34.3% of the vote, according to IFE.
A quick tally the night of Sunday's vote proved too close for IFE to call a winner, so election officials Wednesday started a full review of tallies compiled by polling stations. The process could take several days to complete.
In a preliminary vote count, Calderon led by a little over 400,000 votes, about 1 percentage point, with 98.5% of the country's more than 130,000 balloting places reporting.
Lopez Obrador's campaign has rejected the preliminary results and called on IFE to open ballot boxes and conduct a vote-by-vote recount, citing irregularities. Leonel Cota, president of the PRD, upped the stakes Wednesday by saying the campaign won't concede the election without a full recount.
While parties can appeal to district election officials to open ballot boxes for a recount, it's unclear if a nationwide recount is allowed under Mexican law.
No gain latest update.
Great minds think alike.
you beat me by a minute.
Since the magic number came down, it is actually favorable. That seems to be the key now - keep the magic number declining.
Can you translate the translation? LOL
Right now we are on pace for a virtual dead heat (within 0.10% either way).
After the recount is finished, political parties can challenge the results at Mexico's Federal Electoral Tribunal, which is made up of seven judges. Political analysts say the tribunal has been accused in the past of partisanship, especially in favor of the PRD. During the recent election campaign, the tribunal ordered Mr. Calderón's camp to pull TV ads comparing Mr. López Obrador to Venezuela's populist leader, Hugo Chávez, because the tribunal said it "defamed" the Mexican candidate. Mr. Calderón's camp had argued that it had the right of free speech, and that its charges were accurate.
"If Calderon holds a 1% lead with 98.5% of the vote counted, what is the possibility this would reverse to a 2.8% lead for Obragore, assuming the 35.2% of the polling places recounted so far weren't cherry-picked?"
Or some pockets didn't get lined.
I need help...what is the magic number? 12.59% of what?
colima-18%
Durango - 22%
Baja - 24%;
sponora - 25%;
queretero - 25%;
puebla - 6%;
Nuevo Leon - 33%
and Aguas caliente - 25%
92.69% votes counted
Obrador 36.07%
Calderon 35.15%
Difference of 0.92%
Closes another 0.02%
We need to beat Obrador by 12.59% in the remaining polls to win.
Mexican election officials, caught in the middle, struggled to explain the initial difference in vote counts. They said that in the 2000 presidential contest, there was a difference of 0.6% between the preliminary count on the night of the election and the full recount three days later.
It is eerie how this is mirroring our last two elections, the way the country is evenly divided.
SO basically in an hour the finals will be in?
So basically in an hour the finals will be in?
Thanks I was thinking the same thing.
Sorry if this question was already answered. If there is a second close count, as it obviously is as of now, then what? It's over? Can there be a recount of the recount?
Fighting over TV ads, that sounds familiar too.
Methinks political "consultants" get around.
I was thinking the same thing. Conservatives and liberals 50 - 50 again!
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