LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Rioting broke out in parts of Bolivia among opponents of President Evo Morales after electoral authorities announced that a resumed vote count put the leader close to avoiding a runoff in his bid for a fourth term.

Protesters set fire to regional offices of the electoral body in the southern cities of Sucre of Potosi late Monday, and a crowd burned ballots from Sunday's election in Tarija. Bands of Morales' supporters and opponents fought in a number of places across the country, including the capital.

Morales' opponents accused officials of trying to help the president avoid a runoff battle. A U.S. State Department accused Bolivian authorities of trying to subvert the vote, and an observer mission from the Organization of American States expressed concerns about the counting process.