Colom Leads Mississippi Senate Race Amid Ballot Fight

Democrat Scott Colom held a narrow lead over Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s still-undecided U.S. Senate race, with roughly 97% of the vote counted and tens of thousands of ballots reported outstanding. Officials are continuing to process affidavit and mail ballots, including ballots that may arrive or be verified after Election Day, and the state must certify the results by Nov. 13. Hyde-Smith’s campaign has sought to have provisional ballots kept separate, a move Colom’s campaign criticized as an attempt to interfere with the count; both sides are preparing for possible legal disputes. Mississippi has no automatic recount and candidates cannot request one, though court action could affect the process. A Colom victory would make him the state’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction, while Colom has also called for expanded early voting, an Election Day national holiday and an end to partisan gerrymandering.