Mississippi Senate Race Too Close to Call as 30,000 Ballots Remain

The U.S. Senate race in Mississippi remains too close to call, with Democrat Scott Colom trailing Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by nearly 2,500 votes as counting continues. The Associated Press estimates roughly 30,000 ballots remain uncounted as of Friday afternoon. The outstanding ballots include absentee and provisional votes, which many counties report days after Election Day. Mississippi requires an excuse for absentee voting and has strict voter ID laws, with provisional ballots accepted only if voters verify their identity within five business days. Absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day can arrive by Nov. 10, and counties must certify results by Nov. 13. The AP is gathering data directly from all 82 counties, as Mississippi lacks a central vote reporting system. In Hinds County, a Democratic stronghold, about 7% of ballots remain uncounted, while Rankin County has roughly 2,200 outstanding. Mississippi does not allow automatic or requested recounts, only court-ordered ones.