Voting Rights · Report · File No. 261106-267
NRSC demands Mississippi counties preserve affidavit ballots as Senate race stays uncalled
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith's campaign wants all 82 counties to set aside and track provisional ballots, the first step toward a possible election contest. Democrat Scott Colom leads by nearly 2,000 votes with about 3,600 ballots outstanding.
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The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate GOP's campaign arm, is demanding that Mississippi election officials preserve election documents and all affidavit ballots, typically called provisional ballots, taking the first step toward possible legal action in the widely watched Senate race 1.
As of Thursday evening, the Senate race remains too close to call with Democrat Scott Colom leading Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) by nearly 2,000 votes, according to Decision Desk HQ 1.
In a letter sent to the election commissioners in all 82 Mississippi counties, attorneys for Hyde-Smith demand that county officials separate out the affidavit ballots, document their disposition and preserve "all associated materials" 1.
These measures are necessary to ensure that each affidavit ballot’s eligibility for counting and ultimate disposition can be verified
Federal law already requires that election records be maintained in federal races for 22 months from the election 1. The letter says the ballots and records could be needed for a ballot-box examination, an election contest or a proceeding before the U.S. Senate, but it does not announce a lawsuit or say that one has been filed 2.
From Channel GOPScott Colom calls Trump's attack on him a lieScott Colom · 185 plays · captioned, with the source named
Mail ballots in Mississippi can be received up to five days after the election if they are postmarked by Election Day. The state's top election official said they are waiting to see whether the 3,600 outstanding ballots arrive in time 1.
Mike Hurst, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, said there could be 20,000 outstanding ballots left to be counted, including mail-in absentee and affidavit ballots 2. Hurst said more than 50 attorneys and observers have been dispatched throughout the state focused on the close Senate race 2.
This election is far from being over
The counting process may also be drawn out because the state's procedure for counting ballots is done at the county level, according to the Mississippi secretary of state 1.
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson said counties have 10 days from the date of the election to submit their certified results to his office, which is November 13 1.
In a statement, Colom's campaign called the NRSC's letter a "desperate stunt" 1. Campaign manager Gerard Henderson said the campaign is confident that when every lawful ballot is counted, Colom will be Mississippi's next U.S. senator 2.
Even if the final margin finishes as close as it is now, Mississippi has no automatic recount provision or method for a candidate to request one 1.
A victory for Colom would be remarkable in deep-red Mississippi. A Democrat has not won a U.S. Senate seat in the Magnolia State since 1982, and the state has not had a Black senator since reconstruction 1.
That matters because the preservation request keeps open the possibility of a formal challenge to a Senate seat that could help decide control of the chamber, while county clerks work toward a November 13 certification deadline 12.
The Record
- Mississippi's general election is held; the Senate race between Hyde-Smith and Colom is too close to call 1.
- Hyde-Smith's attorneys send a letter to election commissioners in all 82 counties asking them to separate and track affidavit ballots 12.
- Deadline for Mississippi counties to submit certified results to the secretary of state 1.
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Sources
- The Hill, “Senate GOP's campaign arm demands Mississippi election officials preserve affidavit ballots” (2026-11-05). thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6202795-nrsc-demands-mississip
- WAPT, “Mississippi counties asked to preserve ballots for GOP challenge - WAPT” (2026-11-05). wapt.com/article/cindy-hyde-smith-mississippi-ballot-preserv
Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.
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