GOP kicks off bid to throw out votes in Mississippi Senate race

The Republican Party is demanding that Mississippi election officials “separate and preserve” all provisional ballots cast in the midterms — the first step in a likely bid to throw out votes in the state’s extremely close U.S. Senate race*. 

The vote count is ongoing, and Democrat Scott Colom currently leads Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) by several hundred votes, with certification due by Nov. 13. His victory would represent a significant upset in the state’s Republican-dominated politics. 

“Because these ballots and records are potential evidence in any box examination under § 23-15-911, election contest, or proceeding before the United States Senate, Candidate Hyde-Smith is entitled to their preservation in an unaltered and identifiable state,” the National Republican Senatorial Committee said in a letter to Mississippi county election officials.

“These measures should remain in place through completion of the canvass, certification, and any ballot box examination, election contest, runoff, or other authorized post-election activity in connection with the November 3, 2026 general election,” the committee added.

During a press conference Thursday in Jackson, Mississippi GOP chairman Mike Hurst said that thousands of ballots remained uncounted and Republicans would make sure that “every legal vote is counted.” 

“If the facts show that our laws were not followed, we will be ready to act swiftly, and we will not hesitate to hold election officials accountable,” he said.

In response, the Colom campaign called the letter a “desperate stunt” that is “what you do when you know you’re about to lose a race.”

This year, large numbers of Mississippians were forced to vote by affidavit ballot after Secretary of State Michael Watson (R) flagged 230,000 voter registrations as “inactive.” 

These ballots are counted later, after the voters present acceptable voter ID to election officials, meaning the Senate race will likely hinge on them.

Mississippi also has no recount law for federal elections. In order to contest the results of a race, a losing candidate would need to challenge the decision to count or not count certain ballots.

In a statement Wednesday, Hyde-Smith’s campaign said it was “confident” she would be reelected once “every legally cast vote is fully and accurately counted” — a phrasing that could suggest the Republican would challenge the legal status of certain ballots.

That same day, Colom urged his supporters to ensure their ballots were verified and counted. 

“We will protect the process of this election,” he said. “We will protect the integrity of this election.”

Should Hyde-Smith mount a challenge to affidavit ballots, it would not be the first time Republicans have attempted to prevent certain votes from counting in the 2026 midterms.

Previously, President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice attempted to prevent California from counting nearly 21,000 ballots it claimed were cast by noncitizens. It asked Washington to set aside other ballots the administration claimed were sent to noncitizens as well. And in Alaska, the Trump administration also tried to block certification of the Senate race if the incumbent Republican lost. 

Those attempts to subvert the midterms in California and Alaska failed in court. Litigation is ongoing over the administration’s demands in Washington.

*The Elias Law Group (ELG) represents the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and is active in the legal effort on behalf of the Colom campaign. ELG Firm Chair Marc Elias is the founder of Democracy Docket.

This story has been updated with new developments.