By Billy Davis

Interim Panola Sheriff Otis Griffin and retired state trooper Dennis Darby are headed to a November 23 runoff after a final vote tally was conducted Wednesday morning.

Griffin finished first with 6,137 votes, according to a tally of cast ballots, absentee ballots and affidavit ballots. Darby followed with 5,963 votes, a difference of 174.

Approximately 300 affidavit ballots were reviewed by the Panola County Election Commission Wednesday morning at the county courthouse in Batesville.

A spokesman for the commission said 202 affidavits were allowed and 105 were rejected. A slight majority of affidavits, 102, went to Griffin.

The affidavit ballot count came after Circuit Clerk Joe Reid and deputies counted approximately 950 absentees Tuesday night, finishing at 11:30.

Griffin had been leading Darby by 186 votes late Tuesday night and returns pointed to a coming runoff. The absentees could have pushed front runner Griffin over 50 percent – but didn’t.

In fact, Darby led Griffin in absentee votes, 471 to 431. The absentees, after they were counted, had narrowed the front runner’s lead to 160 votes.

Other sheriff’s candidates and their totals were: Phil Herron, 229 votes; Richard McCarty, 137 votes, and Noel Aldridge, 86 votes.