Halifax County Board of Elections Director Kristin Scott confirmed this morning 1,638 signatures on Silver’s petition were validated.

He collected a total of 1,945 signatures and needed 1,502.

The signatures not validated, Scott said, included those of people who were not registered to vote in the county, signatures of people who were not county residents and some duplicate signatures.

Scott said the petition would be sent to the state after it is certified.

What’s required next of Silver is that he pay a filing fee of $612. That fee represents 1 percent of the sheriff’s starting salary.

The fall election will be held on November 6.

Silver said this morning he was glad to hear his petition was validated.

He said he hadn’t made up his mind when he will pay the fee.

Asked when the deadline for the payment was he said, “I don’t feel I’ve been treated fairly by ‘the spin,'” and hung up before further questions could be asked.

Scott said state statute doesn’t specify a deadline. "But, a reasonable business practice is that he pays that filing fee when we process his notice of candidacy.  Once we can get his petition certified he can come do that. We just need to make sure everything is in place by the time we begin to work on ballots for the November election which is usually late July or early August."  

When asked this morning for reaction Silver’s petition had been validated, Tripp said, “Our work record speaks for itself. Our community service and what we’re doing for the community speaks for itself.”