History in the making in Mississippi: Senate race could come down to a handful of votes

DESOTO CO., Miss. (WMC) - For voters across Mississippi, Election Day brought something they say they hadn’t experienced before during midterms: exceptionally long lines, hours-long waits and, for some, the decision to leave without casting a ballot.

“It’s never been anything like this. Never,” voter David Blackburn said.

“No, it’s never been this long,” Alberta Wells agreed.

Sharon Kotcki said the only comparison she could make was another historic election.

“The only other time I’ve seen it this bad was when the first time that Trump ran,” Kotcki said.

But the unusually long lines may have reflected more than polling places struggling to keep up. The latest turnout numbers point to a significant shift in Mississippi’s political landscape.

University of Mississippi political science professor Dr. Emily Ommundsen said Democratic U.S. Senator candidate Scott Colom’s vote total is already approaching the number of votes Kamala Harris received in Mississippi during the 2024 presidential election.

“The number of votes that Scott Colom has earned so far is consistent with the number of votes that Kamala Harris earned in 2024, which is a rather shocking finding,” Dr. Ommundsen said.

In 2024, President Donald Trump received more than 747,000 votes in Mississippi, compared to roughly 466,000 for Harris. Colom’s current performance is tracking near Harris’s total, while Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith’s turnout is falling well below Trump’s 2024 numbers.

It’s a notable shift in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982.

Colom’s campaign, however, says the results aren’t a surprise.

Long lines, rain and voting obstacles

In DeSoto County, voters described waiting nearly two hours to cast their ballots, with rain adding another challenge throughout Election Day.

Teresa Bloodgood said she was encouraged by the turnout and the number of people willing to wait.

“I’m so glad to see the turnout because it makes you realize that people are interested and they’re making a point to step up and let their voice be heard, which is so important,” Bloodgood said.

For Kory Terry, voting was about creating change beyond himself.

“I’m looking for change not just for myself but for the fellow citizens of this county... sometimes you have to sacrifice some time to make change happen,” Terry said.

Blackburn also hoped voters would stick it out despite the weather.

“I hope it doesn’t dilute the vote. I hope everybody gets out and stays here and gets through it to vote because the country needs people to vote the way they feel,” Blackburn said.

But not everyone stayed. Two women in Southaven told Action News 5 they left polling lines after rain began falling and the wait still stretched an hour or two ahead of them.

Others encountered a different obstacle.

In Tate County, a woman told Action News 5 her 35-year-old daughter, who had voted in every election since turning 18, was turned away after being listed as “inactive.”

After Action News 5 contacted the circuit clerk, the daughter was able to return and cast an affidavit ballot.

Those ballots, which can be issued for several reasons, including voter identification issues or showing up at the wrong polling location, must be verified before they can be counted.

Voters who cast affidavit ballots because they lacked acceptable photo identification have until November 10 to provide it to their circuit clerk for their ballots to count.

Thousands of ballots still outstanding

The latest reported election results show Colom with 49% of the vote, or 464,926 votes. Hyde-Smith is close behind with 48.9%, or 463,788 votes.

That’s a difference of just 1,138 votes.

Wednesday night, the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office said 70 of the state’s 82 counties have uploaded unofficial results. Counties have until November 13 to certify their results.

Approximately 3,600 absentee-by-mail ballots remain outstanding, along with an unknown number of affidavit ballots.

Mississippi’s election rules also mean a candidate does not need to reach 50% to win this Senate race. The candidate with the most votes wins, so there will be no runoff.

The state also has no automatic recount process or established procedure allowing a candidate to simply request one. A judge would have to order another count based on legal findings involving fraud or irregularities.

With the margin so narrow, Dr. Ommundsen says she doesn’t expect a clear outcome before the remaining ballots are processed.

Both candidates have expressed confidence in their chances of winning. But with thousands of ballots still to be reviewed and county certification deadlines approaching, Mississippi voters may have to wait several more days for an answer.

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