Mississippi Senate Race Hinges on 6,000 Outstanding Mail Ballots
Democrat Scott Colom holds a 65-vote lead over Cindy Hyde-Smith as state officials race to certify results before a Nov. 13 deadline.
By Takeshi Davidson ·
The outcome of the Mississippi U.S. Senate race now depends on a handful of uncounted mail-in ballots. Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by 65 votes in the current tally, a margin that could shift as election officials process outstanding paperwork.
The race has been tight since Election Day, with Colom gaining traction in a state that has not seen such close post-election drama in recent years. While Democrats secured a Senate majority without flipping this seat, a victory here would mark their deepest win in the South, following successes in Texas and South Carolina.
The path to a final count is complicated by logistics. State data indicates approximately 6,000 mail ballots were distributed but not returned as of Monday. These votes are valid if postmarked by Election Day and received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 10. In addition, an unknown number of affidavit ballots remain outstanding. These provisional votes are cast by voters who lacked proper identification or were missing from the registration list.
Mikell Bolden, executive director of the Mississippi Democratic Party, reported that the party hotline received roughly 2,000 calls on Tuesday. Many callers claimed they were registered but were told otherwise at polling places. Bolden noted that the secretary of state’s website crashed, preventing voters from verifying their status independently. The state party and Colom campaign are now contacting these voters by phone and text to ensure they submit required ID or return their ballots before the deadline.
Legal teams from both sides are in the state. Staff from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Elias Law Group arrived on Wednesday to oversee the count. Colom, a local prosecutor, stated at a Wednesday news conference that his team is prepared to litigate if necessary, citing months of preparation. Jake Monssen, Hyde-Smith’s campaign manager, said his team is closely monitoring the remaining count and remains confident in the incumbent’s victory.
County election officials must transmit results to the secretary of state by Nov. 13. A formal recount is not automatically available under state law for Senate races. Ben Griffith, an election law professor at the University of Mississippi, explained that candidates can only challenge results by filing intent to examine ballot boxes county by county. With 82 counties in the state and only nine days until the canvass must be complete, Griffith described that process as beyond the scope of feasibility.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee issued a statement Wednesday affirming its commitment to ensuring every lawful ballot is counted. The outcome will hinge on whether the outstanding mail and affidavit ballots meet the legal requirements for inclusion before the Nov. 13 deadline.
