Two U.S. Senate races remained uncalled after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with outstanding ballots keeping contests in Mississippi and Alaska unresolved. CBS News correspondent Ed O’Keefe discussed races without declared winners in a report published the day after the vote.
In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom led Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 1,138 votes in a Nov. 4 update from the Mississippi Free Press, with about 96% of the vote counted. Ballots still needed processing, including absentee and affidavit votes. The state had until Nov. 10 to resolve provisional ballots, according to the Associated Press.
The reported lead is a snapshot of an ongoing count, not a certified result. An earlier AP tally on Nov. 4 put Colom ahead by only dozens of votes, illustrating how the margin changed as counting continued.
Alaska count awaits more ballots
In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola led Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan by 626 votes in the AP’s Nov. 4 count, when about 74% of estimated votes had been tallied. The race was still unresolved on Nov. 5. Overseas ballots may arrive up to 15 days after Election Day, and the state’s ranked-choice tabulation was not expected before Nov. 18.
If no candidate receives more than 50% in the first round, the ranked-choice count could determine the winner. Neither contest had a certified winner in the reporting available on Nov. 5.