By Jeremy Weldon

The Panola County Election Commission has announced four dates for poll managers training, and two dates for public demonstrations of the county’s new scanners that will used for the first time in the August primaries.

To make these sessions more accessible the commission will have training sessions at both the Batesville and Sardis Courthouses at different times. Poll managers from the county’s various precincts may attend only one of these sessions.

The schedule is: June 24 at 6 p.m. in Batesville, June 25 at 2 p.m. in Batesville, July 9 at 6 p.m. in Sardis, and July 10 at 2 p.m. in Sardis.

Voters will be introduced to the DS 200 Optical Scanners at the Sardis Courthouse Friday, July 19, from noon to 6 p.m., and at the Batesville Courthouse on Wednesday, July 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Election Commissioners have invited all citizens who want to see the new voting equipment to attend the demonstrations. Voters can familiarize themselves with the minor changes of how ballots will be cast this fall.

The new scanners are ADA compliant to accommodate voters with disabilities, and those features will also be demonstrated at the public showings.

Deadline to register for the Aug. 6 Repubulican and Democrat primaries is July 8. Deadline for registration for the Nov. 4 general election is Oct. 7. There are a number of ways to register to vote in Mississippi, and the Circuit Clerk’s office at both Batesville and Sardis have deputy clerks who can assist citizens with the simple process.

Absentee voting, available for registered voters who will be unable to cast a ballot at their assigned precincts on the election dates, will begin June 24. Absentee ballots may be turned in to the Circuit Clerk’s office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays at either courthouse.

Additionally, Circuit Clerk Melissa Meek-Phelps said both of the county’s courthouses will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on two Saturdays – July 27 and Aug. 3 – for absentee voting. The Saturday openings are intended to give every voter an opportunity to vote, especially those who work out of town during the week.

Voters who have moved or changed their name and not updated their address with the Circuit Clerk may find that he/she will have to vote by affidavit ballot.  This is time consuming for the voter and the poll manager at the precinct.  To prevent this, voters may go by the Circuit Clerk’s office at either courthouse and update their address to determine where they vote.

The Election Commission will next meet July 1 at 2 p.m. in Batesville for a voter roll maintenance session.