Did we have a fair election in Panola in 2024?
Dear Editor,
Thanks to all candidates that ran a fair campaign whether you won or lost. Did Heather Turner win the Panola County Circuit Clerks
position? Yes, congratulations to you, Heather. You had a great team working for you. Please be in charge of what goes on in your
office. You and your staff should be the only people that are allowed in the vault in your office since both Republican and Democrat
election reports are stored in there. Accordingly, the SOS Election Commission should not override your authority. They are to
conduct special elections and primaries if contracted. Make Panola County proud, Heather.
Terese ‘Chelle’ Dishmon lost her bid for the Circuit Clerk’s position. She lost the race but made history by being the first African
American female to run for this position. She showed respect when she refused to run against another African American Candidate.
Because of this, she qualified on September 6 to run. She only had six weeks to campaign. She gained enough votes to be in the runoff.
If she had received the number of votes that Ty Pinkins or Kamalar Harris received , she would have still been in a runoff. She was not
allowed to run as a Democrat because it was a special election. Older Democrats will only vote if they see a Democrat. Some voters had
pledged their support to Heather before they realized she was running. She lost votes in the runoff election because some voters
would rather believe gossip from social media than the GOSPEL in the Bible. She didn’t have many voters that agreed to work without
pay. Terese, you made Panola County proud.
Out of the seventy-six (76) Republican managers printed in the Panolian to work in the Primary Election, fifty-five (55) of them
were selected to work in the General Election and were paid an approximately eighteen thousand dollars. ($18,000). Out of the sixty-
nine (69) Democrat managers printed in the Panolian to work the Primary election, only fifty-one (51) were elected to work in the
General election. They were paid a total of approximately eleven thousand dollars ($ 11,000)
The General Election combines both Republicans and Democrats. The Republicans were paid approximately seven thousand dollars ($
7,000.00) more than the Democrats. In the runoff, twenty-three (23) Democrats managers worked and were paid approximately six
thousand four hundred ($6,400.00) and fifty-five (55) Republican managers were selected to work and were paid approximately eleven
thousand dollars ($11,000)
The difference in pay is four thousand six hundred ($ 4,600.00). This does not include traveling for the R/R managers. Democrats
only had four (4) R/R managers while the Republicans had seventeen (17) during the General Election. During the runoff Election, the
Democrats had five R/R managers while the Republicans had sixteen (16).
There are some Black managers that work for the Republicans rather than the Democrats. Each time I see this, I am reminded of the
Black voters that lived on plantations in the early 70’s and had to do what their owners told them to do. We don’t have plantations and
Black voters are free to choose which party they want to work for. I am afraid what will happen if Republicans decide to work as poll
managers in all precincts in the future.
The Election Commissioner didn’t honor our request as it was printed in the Panolian . They were sent the same list of six-nine (69)
Democrat managers that were printed in the Panolian that worked the Primary election and asked to select at least 53. They only
selected fifth-one (51).
We requested 10 out of 21 R/R managers and they only selected four (4). We requested twelve 12 out of twenty-six (26) to work on
the electronic poll book but they only selected seven (7). We requested that two (2) Active Democrats be selected to work on
Resolution Board and they honored this request. For this we are grateful.
Panola County Election Commissioners have proven that they don’t plan to conduct the Democratic primary election in 2026. We
hope that the Panola County Board of Supervisors will vote to upgrade the twenty-three electronic polls that were purchased for
Democrats and are stored somewhere. If not, the Democrats will be forced to use paper poll books for the 2026 primary election.
Tax payers, please read and decide if the funds presented by the Election Commission and paid out by the Panola County Board of
Supervisor fair to all tax payers.
s/ Lourine Robinson, Chair

Panola County Democratic Executive Committee