Mississippi Senate Race Remains Uncertain as Ballots Continue to Be Counted

2 min read

One week after Election Day, Mississippi is still counting votes as Democrat challenger Scott Colom clings to a narrow lead over incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. With thousands of absentee mail ballots still outstanding, the race remains uncertain as election officials work to finalize results.

Ballots Still Being Counted

Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson stated Monday that there were still thousands of outstanding absentee mail ballots that could still be accepted by election officials by the end of Tuesday. Colom currently leads Hyde-Smith by about 2,536 votes, with approximately 2,578 outstanding absentee-by-mail ballots remaining. The ballots can be counted for up to five business days if postmarked by Election Day.

Processing and Unofficial Results

Watson noted that around 1,000 mail-in ballots have already been received since the polls closed. He also mentioned that 75 of the state’s 82 counties had submitted unofficial results to the state portal, while one county had uploaded their official results ahead of the November 13 deadline. Watson explained that the term ‘unofficial results’ reflects the ongoing process, with totals increasing as more votes are processed.

Ballot Acceptance Rates

Election officials across the state have processed 15,547 affidavit ballots, with a roughly 76% acceptance rate. Affidavit ballots are cast if the voter’s name is not in the poll book, an address has changed, the voter does not have an ID, or the voter has previously been marked as having voted by mail. The acceptance rate for affidavit ballots in the last two election cycles was between 70-75%.

Political Reactions

Colom’s campaign manager Gerard Henderson expressed confidence that the Democrat would prevail once every lawful vote is counted. “We’re confident that once every lawful vote is counted, he’ll be Mississippi’s next U.S. senator,” he said. Meanwhile, Hyde-Smith, who had previously expressed confidence in her victory, told reporters on Capitol Hill that “they are counting votes,” before declining to comment further.

Broader Implications

The Senate race in deep-red Mississippi has shocked both parties, as a massive blue wave surged across the country, flipping once-safe Republican Senate seats in Kansas, South Carolina, and Texas. The outcome of this race will have significant implications for the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

Source: Daily Wire

Written by

Connor Davis