Democrat Scott Colom’s lead over Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race grew to 2,574 votes by Friday evening, Nov. 6, as counties kept working through thousands of affidavit and mail ballots. The Associated Press had still not called the race, and Hyde-Smith’s campaign said the contest is far from settled.
In Alaska, the other uncalled Senate race, Democrat Mary Peltola held a narrow edge over Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, but the final result is not expected until ranked-choice tabulation later this month. Upstormed News first reported on the two contests earlier this week in Mississippi and Alaska Senate races still uncalled as ballot counting continues. Here is what has changed since then.
What’s new in Mississippi
Colom’s margin has risen steadily since Election Day. According to the Mississippi Free Press liveblog, the AP count showed him ahead by about 1,138 votes on Thursday morning. By late Friday morning the AP tally stood at 467,066 for Colom and 465,056 for Hyde-Smith, roughly 49.1% to 48.8%. By 5 p.m. Friday the gap had reached 2,574 votes, a figure Fox News also reported. Yahoo News, citing the AP, said about 97% of the vote had been counted as of early Friday.
Most of the ballots still being processed are affidavit ballots. These are often cast by voters who did not have an acceptable photo ID at the polls or who were listed as inactive on voter rolls. Colom’s campaign has estimated that 10,000 to 15,000 such ballots were cast statewide. Secretary of State Michael Watson has said about 3,000 mail ballots also remain to be processed, according to Fox News.
Outstanding ballots come from counties that lean toward each candidate. Hinds County, the state’s most populous, favors Colom, while counties such as Rankin and Lee have favored Hyde-Smith. DeSoto County officials told the Mississippi Free Press they expect to finish counting about 2,100 affidavit ballots around the middle of next week.
What each side is saying
Speaking to reporters Friday, Colom said the remaining math favors him. “It’s very clear the direction of this,” he said, according to Yahoo News.
Hyde-Smith answered with a statement Friday afternoon, saying her campaign is monitoring the remaining ballots.
“We are not backing down. This election is not over.” — Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, as reported by the Mississippi Free Press
The National Republican Senatorial Committee earlier asked all 82 counties to separate and preserve affidavit ballots, and Hyde-Smith’s lawyers made a similar written request, according to Yahoo News, citing The New York Times. Colom’s campaign called the move a stunt, and his lawyers warned counties that segregating ballots would violate state election law, the Mississippi Free Press reported. Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst said party-aligned lawyers would be ready to use every legal option if necessary.
Key dates and how a recount works
- Tuesday, Nov. 10: Last day for mailed absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive, and the deadline for affidavit voters to show an acceptable ID at their circuit clerk’s office.
- Friday, Nov. 13: Counties must certify results and send them to the secretary of state.
- No automatic recount: Yahoo News reports Mississippi is the only state without a recount law, so any dispute over individual ballots would likely go to court after certification.
The latest in Alaska
With about 74% of votes counted as of Friday morning, Peltola had 48.17% of first-choice votes to Sullivan’s 47.88%, according to Newsweek. Two other candidates, Republican Gerald L. Heikes and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who ran with no party affiliation and shares a similar name with the incumbent, split the rest.
Because no candidate appears likely to pass 50% on first choices, Alaska’s ranked-choice system will decide the race. Overseas ballots are accepted through Nov. 18, and tabulation is expected to begin that day. President Trump has argued on social media that votes for the second Sullivan should go to the incumbent, while supporters of ranked-choice voting, including FairVote, say the system’s later rounds address that concern. Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News the Justice Department could review ballots if voter confusion is suspected, Newsweek reported.
Why it matters
Democrats have already won control of both the House and Senate in Tuesday’s midterms. The Mississippi and Alaska results will decide how large the new Senate majority will be, which affects how easily nominations and bills can move next year. President Trump carried the state by 23 points in 2024, so the close count has drawn national attention. Meanwhile, House leaders are organizing for the new Congress, as Upstormed News reported in Jeffries launches Speaker bid as Scalise and Jordan vie to lead House GOP.
Why it matters for families
Close races are a reminder of how much a single vote and a properly completed ballot can count. Voters in Mississippi who cast an affidavit ballot because they lacked ID should check with their county circuit clerk before the Nov. 10 deadline to make sure their vote is counted.
What to watch next
Watch the Nov. 10 ballot and ID deadlines, county certification on Nov. 13, and any court filings by either campaign in Mississippi. In Alaska, the key date is the Nov. 18 ranked-choice tabulation. Upstormed News will follow both races until they are decided.
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What do you think about how long it takes to count close races? Tell us in the comments.
Sources: Mississippi Free Press, “Liveblog: Mississippi’s 2026 U.S. Senate Election Results” (November 6, 2026); Yahoo News, “How the Mississippi Senate race between Scott Colom and Cindy Hyde-Smith got so close — and what happens next” (November 6, 2026); Fox News, “Colom leads Mississippi Senate race, Hyde-Smith says she is ‘not backing down’” (November 7, 2026); Newsweek, “Alaska’s ranked-choice voting could sink challenge to Senate result: analysts” (November 6, 2026)
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