Mississippi Senate Count Stalls With Colom Holding 2,500 Vote Edge
Thousands of provisional and mail-in ballots remain uncounted in the race between Democrat Scott Colom and incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith.
By Lucia Herrera ·
Election officials in Mississippi are still processing ballots for the state's U.S. Senate race on Friday. The contest has no declared winner, with Democrat Scott Colom holding a lead of approximately 2,500 votes over incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith as of Friday night. This narrow advantage leaves the outcome uncertain while thousands of additional ballots await verification.
The precise number of outstanding votes is difficult to pin down due to a mix of provisional ballots and late-arriving mail-in envelopes. Mike Hurst, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, addressed the situation on Thursday. He stated that the party estimates roughly 20,000 ballots remain to be tallied. Hurst specified that this figure includes mail-in absentee ballots as well as affidavit and provisional ballots.
Provisional ballots are set aside when verification issues arise at the polling place. Voters have until Nov. 10 to resolve these discrepancies. Emily Ommundsen, a political science professor at the University of Mississippi, noted that county officials are exercising extreme caution. She explained that the slim margins compel local teams to verify that their reported totals are exact before finalizing the count.
Ommundsen emphasized the hesitation among officials to declare a winner prematurely. She said, “Because of this narrow majority, we are we are hesitant to make any conclusions about the outcome of the race, as these final ballots are still being counted, within this legally prescribed period, where counties are ensuring that they are reporting the correct totals.”
Both campaigns have assembled legal teams to handle potential disputes. Colom addressed his staff on Friday, asserting, “We got an army of lawyers. Those election commissioners and circuit clerks, they’re not going to be intimidated.” Hurst countered on Thursday by declaring, “Let me be clear. This race is far from being over.”
Mississippi stands alone among U.S. states in lacking a formal mechanism for a vote recount. Despite this, legal challenges remain probable if the margin stays tight. Ommundsen predicted that courts may need to decide which ballots are eligible for inclusion. She identified Nov. 13 as the deadline for certifying votes and the first major checkpoint for determining the final result.
