Mississippi Senate Race Undecided as Thousands of Provisional Ballots Remain Under Review
Thousands of affidavit and absentee ballots are still being reviewed across Mississippi, leaving the closely watched U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Scott Colom undecided.
The contest remains too close to call as local election officials sift through outstanding paperwork from the November 3 general election. Colom has maintained a lead that widened slightly since Wednesday, when he was ahead by only a few dozen votes. If Colom wins, he would be the first African American elected to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi since Reconstruction.
Campaigns Clash Over Uncounted Ballots and Legal Strategy
Mike Hurst, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, appeared on CNN to provide an update on the remaining uncounted votes and defend Hyde-Smith’s position. Hurst estimated that there could be 20,000 outstanding ballots left to be counted, including mail-in absentee and affidavit ballots. The state GOP has dispatched more than 50 attorneys and observers across the state’s 82 counties to monitor the process.
“If Scott Colom were serious and genuine, he would admit that all he wants to do is what we want, which is the law to be followed and the legal votes to be counted,” Hurst said on CNN.
The Hyde-Smith campaign also sent a letter to county election commissioners and circuit clerks asking officials to store affidavit ballots separately from regular and absentee ballots during the canvass and certification. The campaign requested that counties record whether each affidavit ballot was accepted, rejected, or still under review, citing the possibility of a post-election contest or proceedings before the U.S. Senate.
Colom pushed back against the Republican strategy during his own appearance on CNN, calling for an end to the ongoing dispute.
“He needs to stop creating chaos. It’s very clear that the voters are going in a new direction,” Colom said, while expressing confidence in his campaign’s outcome.
Gerard Henderson, Colom’s campaign manager, criticized the Republican oversight efforts in a separate statement responding to a letter from the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Henderson called the move a “desperate stunt from national Republicans” and expressed confidence that Colom will ultimately secure the seat once every lawful ballot is tallied.
Voters Must Present Identification by November 10
The remaining ballots include mail-in items postmarked no later than November 3, alongside affidavit ballots filed by voters who could not show an approved form of identification at the polls. Those voters have until November 10 to present proper identification at their local circuit clerk’s office for their votes to count.
Community and civil rights groups have mobilized around the ballot review process. The Mississippi Center for Justice, the Poor People’s Campaign, and Mississippi Votes joined forces to call for public observation of ballot reviews and transparent documentation of any rejections. Citing reports of unfair vote-counting practices in counties such as Madison, Harrison, and DeSoto, these organizations are urging voters who cast affidavit ballots to track their status and contact the election protection hotline at 1-833-678-4321 if necessary.
Every county in Mississippi faces a strict deadline of November 10 to finish counting and submitting all votes, with formal certification required by November 13. State law does not provide an automatic recount mechanism, meaning any formal challenge would require a specific court order.
