The latest on the extremely close Mississippi and Alaska Senate races
The Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska are shaping up to be two of the closest contests from the 2026 midterm elections. CBS News' Anthony Salvanto takes a look at where the ballot tally stands.
The Senate race in Mississippi between incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Scott Colom is currently within a razor-thin margin of a few dozen votes, with 96% of the expected vote reporting. As of Wednesday morning, both candidates had 48.9% of the vote, with Hyde-Smith having 65 more votes than Colom.
Mississippi does not have a formal recount process in place for such close races, and candidates cannot request a recount. However, a candidate can perform a ballot box exam and examine ballot materials after the election is certified, and if issues are found, they can file a legal challenge. The Secretary of State's office confirmed that there may still be uncounted mail ballots or provisional ballots, known as affidavit ballots, which could impact the final outcome.
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- What to know about recounts in Mississippi with razor-thin margin in Senate race abcnews.com
- Mississippi Senate race too close to call thehill.com
- Votes are still being counted to see who will represent Mississippi in the Senate npr.org
- Where the toss-up Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska stand cbsnews.com
