The election of Lisa Scails as the president of the NAACP’s state chapter is being challenged by the presidents of two local chapters.

James Griffin, the head of the Waterbury chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, claims he won Saturday night’s election at the organization’s statewide convention.

On Wednesday, Griffin and Scot X Esdaile, president of the Greater New Haven NAACP, accused former state president Ben Andrews of improperly influencing the election.

Griffin said he beat Scails, the incumbent, by a vote of 33-32 during the closed meeting, with New Britain chapter chairman Rory Edwards receiving 28 votes.

Following the election, two ballots, one for Griffin and one for Edwards, were ruled to be improper by Andrews, a former state president of the organization who now sits on the national board, Griffin said. Andrews ordered a second vote.

“Maybe someone wrote my name below the office instead of above or something,” Griffin said. “But a ballot is a ballot, and the voter’s intent was clear. I don’t know what (Andrews’) problem was.”

By the time a second vote was taken, many of Griffin’s supporters had left the convention, and Scails was elected president, Griffin claims.

Griffin, who along with Esdaile, hired attorney John Williams, said he planned to file a formal appeal with the national NAACP on Friday.

–Associated Press