Democrat Scott Colom has widened his lead over Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s closely contested U.S. Senate race, moving closer to a historic victory as election officials finish counting outstanding ballots more than a week after Election Day.
Colom’s advantage grew to 3,176 votes Wednesday, according to Mississippi Today, with approximately 98% of ballots counted. The race has not been called, but the growing margin places the Democratic challenger in an increasingly favorable position as counties approach Friday’s certification deadline.
A Colom victory would make him Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction, the period following the Civil War when formerly enslaved Black Americans gained citizenship and political representation. It would also represent a major political upset in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide elections for decades.
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The latest developments center on Hinds County, which includes Jackson and has historically provided some of Mississippi’s strongest Democratic margins.
Election officials there spent Wednesday processing outstanding absentee and affidavit ballots that could help determine the final outcome. An affidavit ballot, also called a provisional ballot, allows someone to vote when election officials must first verify their eligibility or registration information before counting the ballot.
According to Mississippi Today, Hinds County received 2,426 affidavit ballots but accepted only 817. Election commissioners rejected the remaining 1,609 ballots, meaning roughly two-thirds of those votes will not be included in the final tally.
The unusually high rejection rate has intensified scrutiny of Mississippi’s election procedures, particularly as the state works through thousands of ballots cast by voters whose registration status was questioned.
Democracy Docket reported that many voters across Mississippi were required to use affidavit ballots after their registrations were marked inactive following changes to the state’s voter list maintenance procedures.
Election officials in Hinds County identified problems including voters casting ballots in the wrong precinct, being registered in another county or not appearing on the voter rolls. The available reporting does not establish that every rejected ballot was improperly excluded.
The ballot review has become especially significant because Mississippi’s Senate contest has been decided by exceptionally narrow margins throughout the counting process.
Colom’s advantage stood at just 65 votes on election night, according to Yahoo News. His lead has generally expanded as additional absentee and affidavit ballots have been processed.
Colom, a former district attorney, has expressed confidence that the remaining votes will secure his victory.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, he challenged Hyde-Smith’s campaign to explain how it could overcome his growing advantage. He also argued that Democrats should invest more heavily in competitive Southern races rather than treating Republican-controlled states as unwinnable.
Hyde-Smith, meanwhile, has declined to concede.
Speaking with reporters in Washington, the Republican incumbent acknowledged that ballots were still being counted and maintained that her campaign remained confident.
Both campaigns have closely monitored the vote-counting process, with attorneys and election observers paying particular attention to outstanding ballots in Hinds County.
The election has also drawn national attention because of its potential consequences for the U.S. Senate.
Democrats have already secured control of the chamber following the November 3 midterm elections, according to The Associated Press. A Colom victory would add another Democratic seat and further reduce Republican representation when the new Congress convenes in January.
For Mississippi, the political implications extend beyond the balance of power in Washington.
The state has one of the nation’s largest Black populations by percentage, yet it has not elected a Black U.S. senator in the modern era. Hiram Revels and Blanche K. Bruce represented Mississippi in the Senate during Reconstruction, becoming the first two Black Americans to serve in the chamber.
Colom’s election would mark the return of Black representation to Mississippi’s U.S. Senate delegation after more than a century.
The close race has also renewed attention to voting access in a state with a long history of discriminatory election laws and efforts to prevent Black citizens from participating in elections.
Mississippi requires voters to present an accepted form of photo identification, with certain exceptions. Voters who cannot provide the required identification at the polls may cast an affidavit ballot and subsequently present documentation within the legally established deadline.
Tuesday, November 10, was the deadline for voters to resolve certain identification issues and for election officials to receive qualifying absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day.
Those deadlines have now passed, leaving election officials responsible for determining which outstanding ballots qualify under state law and incorporating accepted votes into the final totals.
Mississippi’s 82 counties have until Friday, November 13, to submit certified election results. Statewide certification is scheduled for December 3.
Unlike some states, Mississippi does not provide an automatic recount or a standard candidate-requested recount process for U.S. Senate elections. A candidate seeking to challenge the outcome would generally need to pursue legal action.
For now, Colom remains ahead, Hyde-Smith has not conceded, and the final outcome depends on the completion of the vote count and certification process.
The remaining ballots will determine whether Mississippi sends its first Black senator since Reconstruction to Washington and whether Democrats secure another Senate seat in an election that has already reshaped control of Congress.
