Representatives of Cindy Hyde-Smith send letter to counties, demanding preservation of all affidavit ballots

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Lawyers representing Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s campaign sent a letter Thursday to election commissioners and circuit clerks demanding “the immediate separation, secure custody, and preservations of all affidavit ballots cast” in Tuesday’s general election.

“Each county must maintain these ballots and their associated records separate and apart from other 2026 general election ballots throughout the duration of the canvass, certification, and completion of the election process, as required by Mississippi and federal law,” the release read.

Affidavit ballots must be sealed in an envelope bearing the voter’s written and signed affidavit and name, under Mississippi law. Affidavit voters must also be recorded in a separate receipt book.

A County Election Commission is then responsible for verifying affidavit ballot envelopes and counting the legally cast ballots.

“Because these ballots and records are potential evidence in any box examination under § 23-15-911, election contest, or proceeding before the United States Senate, Candidate Hyde-Smith is entitled to their preservation in an unaltered and identifiable state," the release read.

The campaign is demanding each county “maintain all affidavit ballots separately from regular and absentee ballots,” “document each ballot’s disposition” and “preserve all associated materials and custody records” associated with the Nov. 3 election and that, under federal law, the records continue to be retained and preserved for 22 months after the election.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Hyde-Smith’s team said they are confident the votes will help her to victory.

Cindy Hyde-Smith is going to represent Mississippi in the United States Senate for the next six years. We believe thousands of votes remain to be counted from dozens of Republican counties, and we are confident those votes will reinforce her path to victory.

Election officials are continuing the normal process of counting outstanding ballots, including absentee ballots. They must have the time to complete that work and ensure every lawful ballot is accurately counted and every Mississippian’s voice is heard.

We expect Democratic lawyers to pull out every stop, and we are prepared. Our focus is on completing the count and returning Cindy Hyde-Smith to the Senate to keep fighting for Mississippi values.

Cindy Hyde-Smith's Facebook

Democrat challenger Scott Colom’s campaign team released a response to the letter.

This desperate stunt from national Republicans is what you do when you know you’re about to lose a race. We’re confident that when every lawful ballot is counted, Scott Colom will be Mississippi’s next U.S. senator.

Scott Colom's campaign team

As of Thursday afternoon, Colom is leading Hyde-Smith by 1,724 votes in unofficial results.

Colom currently has 466,226 votes, or 49%, to 464,502, or 48.9% for Hyde-Smith.

An estimated 95.6% of the votes are in.

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