Mississippi Senate race uncalled as Colom leads Hyde-Smith by 43 votes
The gist
Democrat Scott Colom led Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 43 votes with 97% of Mississippi precincts reporting.
The uncounted precincts and affidavit ballots will decide a Senate seat.
How it unfolded
- Nov 2, 2026The state's election system reported 123,040 absentee ballots requested and 116,453 received for the general election, more than double the under-50,000 absentee total of the 2022 midterms.
- Nov 3, 2026Polls opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m. CT. Secretary of State Michael Watson said his office's hotline took a high volume of calls and reports of a precinct opening late, voting machines temporarily going offline, and slow response times on his website.
- Nov 3, 2026The Mississippi Democratic Party sought emergency injunctive relief in DeSoto County Circuit Court, alleging substantial disruptions at multiple polling places there.