Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by just 65 votes in the Mississippi Senate race. Both campaigns brace for a prolonged legal fight over outstanding ballots as the count continues.
Thousands of Ballots Remain Uncounted
Both the Colom and Hyde-Smith campaigns confirmed there are thousands of outstanding votes. The exact number is unclear.
Approximately 6,000 mail ballots were distributed but had not been returned as of Monday, according to data from the Mississippi secretary of state’s office. Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day may be counted if received by 5 p.m. on November 10 under state law.
Provisional or affidavit ballots are also waiting to be processed. These were issued to voters who lacked proper identification or were missing from registration rolls. Bolden noted that some voters could not check their own registration status because the secretary of state’s website had crashed.
Both Campaigns Prepare for Litigation
Addressing the press on Wednesday, Colom emphasized his campaign’s readiness for the process to be followed according to the law. Sen. Hyde-Smith’s campaign manager, Jake Monssen, noted the campaign is closely monitoring the outstanding ballots.
Recounts Face Strict Legal Limits
Mississippi does not have an automatic recount process. A challenger can seek a court order to initiate one.
There is no mechanism to otherwise contest a U.S. Senate general election, according to the Mississippi election handbook and state law. There are 82 counties across the state. There are only nine days until the canvassing must be complete. Experts have noted that such an effort is beyond the scope of feasibility.
Unresolved Races Stretch Across the Country
The Associated Press had not yet called the Senate contest in Alaska between incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola as of Wednesday afternoon. Peltola holds a lead of 626 votes in that race with an estimated 74% of the ballots counted. Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins maintains a 20 percentage point lead over Republican Bernadette Wilson in Alaska’s gubernatorial race.
We are closely monitoring the outstanding ballots to ensure every legal vote is counted correctly,
Monssen noted.
Earlier coverage: Democrats Secure Senate Majority in U.S. Midterm Elections