Why Mississippi and Alaska Senate races remain undecided

Nearly a week after Election Day, the winners of the Mississippi and Alaska Senate races remain undetermined, with Democratic challengers narrowly leading incumbent Republicans and enough outstanding votes to potentially shift the outcomes. These results will decide the final size of the Democratic Senate majority in January. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by over 2,500 votes with about 97% counted, but thousands of affidavit ballots and mail-in votes arriving by Nov. 10 could alter the result. Hyde-Smith’s legal team has demanded counties separate these ballots, while Colom’s campaign disputes that request, potentially leading to a court fight. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan by roughly 600 votes with only 74% counted, as remote precincts and military ballots can arrive up to 15 days post-election. If no candidate exceeds 50%, ranked-choice tabulation won’t begin until Nov. 18, meaning a final call may not come until late November.