What to know: Mississippi Senate race has razor-thin margin, but no recounts

A close contest remains uncalled

With 96% of expected votes reported Wednesday morning, Colom had 462,857 votes, compared with 462,792 for Hyde-Smith. Both candidates had 48.9% of the vote, while independent challenger Ty Pinkins had 19,938 votes, or 2%.

The race’s narrow margin stands out in a state that voted for Donald Trump with 61% in 2024. Hyde-Smith won her Senate seat with 54% in 2020, after taking office by appointment in 2018.

Mississippi has no recount process

The Mississippi Secretary of State’s office says candidates cannot ask for a recount, and state law does not automatically initiate one. That means the close tally does not itself lead to a recount under the process described by the office.

The result remains subject to ballots still being counted. Mississippi permits mail ballots to arrive as late as five business days after Election Day, with Nov. 10, 2026, given as the deadline; ballots must be postmarked by Election Day.

Provisional ballot count is uncertain

Colom’s campaign manager said Tuesday night that the campaign believes roughly 15,000 provisional ballots may still need to be counted. The Secretary of State’s office told ABC News it could not provide a definitive number. The final outcome may therefore depend on additional counting, even though the state does not provide a recount mechanism that candidates can request.

Campaigns drew national attention

Trump rallied with Hyde-Smith last month in an effort to build support for the incumbent. Before the rally, Colom said some people could not attend because they could not afford the gas to travel there. The race is among those that could affect which party controls the Senate next year.