Reply #31: More info on vote fraud:

[mom cat]

But of the 2.2 million ballots cast, about 125,000 ballots have been declared invalid because of irregularities, raising suspicion among Preval supporters that polling officials were rigging the election.

Another 4 percent of the ballots were blank but were still added into the total, making it harder for Preval to obtain the 50 percent plus one vote needed.

Jacques Bernard, director-general of the nine-member electoral council, denied accusations that the council voided many votes for Preval.

Valdes said he did not believe there was fraud, although he noted that the voided and blank votes "pose some questions."

Council member Patrick Fequiere said Bernard was releasing results without notifying other council members or telling them where he was obtaining his information. And another council member, Pierre Richard Duchemin, said he was being denied access to the tabulation process.

"According to me, there's a certain level of manipulation," Duchemin said, adding that "there is an effort to stop people from asking questions."

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1614891&page=3