Mississippi voters caught off guard by inactive registration errors in tight Senate race

Mississippi's tight Senate race between Democrat Scott Colom and Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith faces delayed vote counting because thousands of voters cast affidavit ballots after their registrations were marked inactive, often without their knowledge. Voters like Kevin Green and Ralph Sandidge reported being surprised to learn their status had changed, with some told they failed to respond to address verification mailers or hadn't voted recently. Election experts attribute the errors partly to the state's use of Experian consumer data to maintain voter rolls, which may have contained inaccuracies affecting thousands. Experian said it hasn't provided services to Mississippi since 2025 and that its data was supplemental, not for validating voter records. The Secretary of State's office hasn't responded to inquiries, while voters with ID who cast affidavit ballots need no further action, and those without ID have until Tuesday to rectify their ballots.