Mississippi Senate race: When will the winner be announced? What are the key deadlines and when could the final result be known?

The 2026 US Senate election race in Mississippi is still too close to call. The close contest was between incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith and Scott Colom. As of November 10 (Tuesday), Democrat Scott Colom was leading Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's US Senate race. The result is still close to call as the race has gained national attention because Mississippi is traditionally a Republican stronghold. Nationally, Democrats did pretty well in the elections. They have won control of the US Senate and US House in midterm elections. Meanwhile, Mississippi and Alaska Senate races have not been called.

How close is the race in Mississippi?

A Democrat candidate has not won a US Senate election in Mississippi since 1982. Hyde-Smith was seeking another term, and is a strong supporter of US President Donald Trump.

According to US media reports, live totals showed Colom in the lead by about 2,760 votes Monday night. The reports also revealed that both the candidates have about 49% of the vote. Interestingly, independent Ty Pinkins has over 2% of the vote.

All about affidavit ballots and why do they matter?

Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson issued a statement on Monday and said that 75 of 82 counties have updated some, but not all, unofficial results.

According to reports, the margin in the tight contest is only a few thousand votes, so, the accepted affidavit ballots may influence the final results.

What about the official results?

Mississippi's 82 counties have November 13 deadline to certify the results. The deadline is an important date for knowing the final outcome of the closely contested race.

Will the race go to a runoff?

Unlike many US states, Mississippi law does not allow for runoffs in federal general elections. It does not matter how close the final count is.

Will there be a recount?

Notably, Mississippi is the only state in the US without a recount provision in its laws.