Colom Visits Jackson While Senate Count Stalls
With the race between Colom and Hyde-Smith separated by fewer than 2,600 votes, the Democrat continued grassroots outreach on Friday as officials processed remaining affidavit ballots.
By Oliver Bennett ·
Democratic candidate Scott Colom spent Friday touring Jackson to meet residents while the count of nearly 100,000 remaining ballots continues in the U.S. Senate race. The visit occurred four days after the November 3 general election, a period when unofficial results show the contest is separated by a narrow margin. Colom stated that he is fulfilling a promise to keep showing up for voters until the final tally is complete.
At the Senior Tougaloo Citizens Center, Colom addressed reporters regarding his continued campaigning during the counting phase. He said he is listening to community concerns and ensuring voters know their needs matter. Unofficial results as of Friday showed Colom with 467,930 votes, or 49.1 percent. Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith held 465,356 votes, or 48.8 percent. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins had 20,028 votes, or 2.1 percent. Approximately 96.9 percent of total votes had been processed at the time of the report.
Residents at the center expressed support for Colom's presence. Delphine Roberts said she expects him to prioritize health care and wages, noting that Colom has pledged to look out for Medicaid, Medicare, and pay. Maggie Benson White said the visit demonstrates that Colom values the effort voters put into the election. She noted that Colom is making an effort to show appreciation for their time and votes rather than simply waiting for the results.
Colom’s campaign also scheduled stops at Marshall’s Book Store and OffBeat Records on Friday. The purpose of these visits was to hear from local business owners about the impact of tariffs and rising costs. Colom said voters have been contacting him with questions about ballots that have not yet been counted. He said he has received texts from people who do not understand why their ballots were rejected. He stated that a clear process exists to cure affidavit ballots and ensure absentee votes are counted.
Secretary of State Michael Watson estimated that between 12,000 and 20,000 affidavit ballots remain uncounted statewide. Watson attributed the higher number to voter roll maintenance issues. He said the system is operating as intended. Watson explained that only voters who cast an affidavit ballot due to a lack of photo ID have five days to present it at the courthouse. Other affidavit voters do not need to return. The Secretary of State’s office allows voters to track the status of their absentee or affidavit ballots online.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee sent a letter to county election commissioners and circuit clerks on Thursday. The letter demanded that officials separate and preserve all affidavit ballots cast in the November 3 election. In a statement, the committee said it is committed to ensuring every lawful ballot is accurately counted. Colom responded to the letter by saying that election officials will follow the law. He stated that commissioners and clerks are not intimidated and understand the process.
Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst said the party has deployed more than 50 attorneys and observers to monitor the counting process. Hurst stated that the party will accept the final outcome if all statutory procedures are followed. The deadline for mailed ballots to arrive is November 10. The certification deadline is November 13. Colom said he plans to continue meeting with voters while the count proceeds.
The narrow gap in the unofficial count places the remaining affidavit ballots in a central position in the final outcome. The process for curing specific types of ballots depends on the reason for the initial affidavit. Watson’s office provided the timeline for voters to take action. The party chairs and candidate campaigns have both outlined their monitoring strategies for the remaining days.
