Colom's Mississippi lead reaches 2,574 as Alaska's count holds still

What changed since chapter three

Democrat Scott Colom's unofficial Mississippi lead grew from 1,882 votes on Thursday evening to 2,574 at 5 p.m. on Friday 6 November, the Mississippi Free Press reported, citing the Associated Press. ^[1]

Alaska's count did not move: Gray DC reported on Friday that fewer than 700 votes separated Mary Peltola and Sen. Dan Sullivan, with 74 percent of ballots counted. The same day, Peltola's campaign sued the state's elections officials in state court for the records of rejected absentee ballots, according to its complaint and Democracy Docket. ^{[2, 3, 4]}

The record

At 11:36 a.m. on Friday the AP count stood at 467,066 for Colom to 465,056 for Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, 49.1 to 48.8 percent, the Free Press reported. By 5 p.m. the gap was 2,574 out of more than 950,000 votes cast. The Mississippi Secretary of State's results page lists no 2026 general election returns yet. ^{[1, 5]}

Secretary of State Michael Watson said on Thursday evening that 12,000 to 20,000 affidavit ballots, the state's name for provisional ballots, might remain uncounted, WLBT reported. He put the current acceptance rate at 76 percent. At midday Friday he said more than 9,000 had been processed and that even his office did not know how many were left, NPR reported. ^{[6, 7]}

Counties report their own numbers. In Oktibbeha County, 503 processed affidavit ballots gave Colom 401 votes, Hyde-Smith 96 and Ty Pinkins five, the Free Press reported. Harrison County received 1,448 affidavit ballots and will decide which to accept at a public meeting on Tuesday 10 November. ^{[1, 8]}

In Hinds County, election commissioner Felicia McClinton told CNN on Saturday 7 November that her office went through 233 affidavit ballots from Jackson State University students. Most did not qualify because the students were not registered or voted in the wrong precinct, she said, and the county's advisory board reviews the rejections next week. ^[9]

Hyde-Smith said in a statement on Friday, 'We are not backing down. This election is not over,' the Free Press reported. Her lawyers had asked all 82 counties to keep affidavit ballots apart, and Colom's campaign called that demand 'unlawful and extraordinary', WLOX reported. ^{[1, 10]}

In Alaska, the complaint says the campaign asked every regional elections office on 27 October for the list showing which absentee ballots were accepted or rejected, and why. It says no answer came and that the state's lawyers declined on 5 November. It asks the Anchorage Superior Court to order the records released under the state's public records law. ^{[3, 4]}

Who it reaches

No company is tagged: none of the weekend's records names one. CNN reported on Saturday that 20 House races were still unprojected and that Democrats were near the 257 seats held at the start of Barack Obama's presidency. President Donald Trump said he had ordered the Justice Department to 'look into' lawmakers seeking investigations and impeachment votes against members of his administration, CNN reported. ^[9]

Where the sources disagree

No two sources give the same count of ballots left in Mississippi. Watson estimated 12,000 to 20,000 affidavit ballots, the Colom campaign said it knew of more than 15,000, and state Republican chairman Mike Hurst put the total at 20,000 including absentee ballots, NPR reported. ^{[6, 7]}

Gray DC wrote on Friday that the Trump administration 'sued to stop the election from being certified if Peltola wins.' The court record shows the Justice Department filed that suit on Thursday 22 October, and Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed it on Sunday 1 November, two days before the vote. ^{[2, 11, 12]}

The department filed a notice of appeal an hour after the ruling, Alaska Public Media reported, and its spokesperson told NPR it plans to appeal. Election lawyer Jason Torchinsky called the dismissal procedural, a ruling on standing, and said a win on appeal would still require further relief, Fox News reported. ^{[13, 14, 15]}

What settles it next

In Mississippi, Tuesday 10 November at 5 p.m. is the last day for affidavit voters to show photo ID and for mailed absentee ballots to arrive, under the state's calendar. County returns are due to the secretary of state by Friday 13 November, and the state declares results on Thursday 3 December. ^[16]

In Alaska, the complaint cites the Division of Elections' schedule: early votes are to be counted by Tuesday 10 November, and the absentee and questioned ballot boards must certify by Wednesday 18 November. Gray DC reported that the ranked-choice tally will not happen before 18 November. ^{[3, 2]}