Hyde-Smith camp asks Mississippi counties to hold affidavit ballots
With the Senate race within 2,000 votes, attorneys for the Republican candidate are demanding that local officials preserve provisional ballots ahead of a November 13 deadline.
By Jonathan Reed ·
Attorneys for Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith are asking election officials in all 82 Mississippi counties to preserve every affidavit ballot. The National Republican Senatorial Committee sent the request on Thursday as the race between Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Scott Colom remains too close to call.
According to Decision Desk HQ, Colom leads by nearly 2,000 votes as of Thursday evening. The letter from Hyde-Smith’s legal team instructs county commissioners to separate these ballots from other voting records. It requires them to document how the ballots are handled and keep all associated materials intact.
The letter argues that these steps are necessary to verify the eligibility of each ballot. It aims to ensure that the final disposition of every vote can be checked later if needed. This move sets the stage for potential legal challenges in the widely watched contest.
Federal law already mandates that election records for federal races be kept for 22 months. In Mississippi, mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can be received until five days after the vote. The state’s top election official says roughly 3,600 outstanding ballots are still in transit. That number is large enough to potentially change the outcome of the race.
Counting proceeds at the county level, which may extend the timeline. Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson noted that circuit clerks and election commissioners run elections locally. He stated that counties have 10 days from the election to submit certified results to the state office. That deadline falls on November 13.
Watson said in a statement that until certified results are in, local counties will be the best source for up-to-date information. Mississippi does not have an automatic recount provision, nor a specific method for a candidate to request a manual recount.
Colom’s campaign reacted to the NRSC letter by calling it a "desperate stunt." The campaign stated that this action occurs when national Republicans expect a loss. They expressed confidence that Colom will become the next U.S. senator once every lawful ballot is counted.
