By Billy Davis

A canvassing of Panola County ballot boxes was set to begin at 8 a.m. today at the county courthouse in Batesville.

Sheriff Otis Griffin confirmed this week he will examine ballot boxes with help from attorney Bill Luckett of Clarksdale.

Sheriff-elect Dennis Darby told The Panolian he will canvass ballot boxes, too. He has hired attorney Richard Bowen of Iuka.

Darby squeaked past the incumbent sheriff with a 135-vote win in the General Election.

A ballot box examination typically means scrutinizing absentee ballot envelopes, which are kept under seal in precinct boxes.

Affidavit ballots, which are kept in a separate sealed box, could also be examined today.

When ballot boxes are opened, the candidates will find the absentees separated in envelopes marked “rejected” and “accepted,” explained Ronald McMinn, who chairs the county election commission.

At each voting precinct, poll workers examine absentee ballots after the polls close, reviewing the absentees that are sent from the courthouse to each precinct in a sealed box.

Unofficial election returns showed 1,281 absentee ballots were accepted in the Nov. 8 election — 695 cast for Darby and 586 cast for Griffin.

McMinn said poll workers rejected approximately 60 absentees on election night.  

The county election commission accepted 32 affidavit ballots — 17 for Darby, 15 for Griffin — the morning after Election Day. McMinn said 93 affidavits had been cast.

Canvassing election boxes is not a contest of election results, though it can be the first step before contesting the results.

 Supporters of Darby oversaw a canvassing of ballot boxes in 2010 when Darby lost to the incumbent sheriff by 435 votes. That election recorded 1,222 absentee ballots and 118 affidavits.

Darby did not contest the election after last year’s canvassing.

After he was served notice this week, Darby said he also served legal notice to Griffin that he plans to canvass ballot boxes today.

“My attorney said it wasn’t necessary to do that,” Darby said. “But I wanted some reassurance that we were within our right to examine the boxes, too.”