Mississippi Senate race too close to call with 30,000 votes outstanding

The Mississippi U.S. Senate race remains too early to call, with Democrat Scott Colom trailing Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by nearly 2,500 votes as of Friday, with roughly 30,000 ballots still outstanding. The Associated Press continuously revises its estimate of remaining votes, which dropped from about 44,000 Friday morning to 30,000 by afternoon, based on county reporting patterns and historical data. Mississippi counts absentee and provisional ballots after Election Day, with absentee ballots accepted through Nov. 10 and provisional results due by Nov. 13. Large counties like Hinds, a Democratic stronghold, and Rankin, a Republican area, have significant outstanding votes, and Mississippi lacks a central reporting system, relying on direct county contact. No automatic or requested recounts exist; only a court order can trigger one.