Alaska and Mississippi Senate Races: Why They're Uncalled

Published November 5, 2026. Results are unofficial until each state certifies them, and figures may change as counting continues.

Where it stands: neither race had been called as of November 5. Democrats lead both on the current count, but the margins are tiny and the remaining ballots could change either result. Democrats will control the Senate whatever happens. These races decide whether the majority is 54, 55 or 56 seats.

Key dates

Mississippi: Scott Colom vs. Cindy Hyde-Smith

Democrat Scott Colom led Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 1,724 votes in unofficial results early Thursday afternoon. Independent Ty Pinkins held about 2.1%.

What is left to count?

• Affidavit ballots: these are Mississippi’s provisional ballots, used when there is a question about ID or registration. Colom’s campaign estimated 10,000 to 15,000 of them. The Secretary of State’s office told ABC News it has no definitive number.
• Late mail ballots: they count if postmarked by Election Day and received within five business days. The state says about 3,600 had not been returned.

Not every outstanding ballot will be accepted. Election commissioners review them and either add them to the count or reject them, and candidates may have representatives present.

Why there may be no recount. Mississippi has no recount provision, and a close federal race does not trigger one automatically. A University of Mississippi law professor told The Hill that a losing candidate has no automatic right to a recount, even if willing to pay. State law also has no express procedure for contesting a U.S. Senate general election, so disputes would likely go to judges.

Could the Senate decide? Possibly. The Constitution makes each chamber the judge of its own members’ elections, so a candidate could ask the Senate to determine who is seated.

Why this race drew attention. Trump won Mississippi with 61% in 2024, and the state has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. Colom would be its first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction. Both campaigns say they expect to win.

Alaska: Mary Peltola vs. Dan Sullivan

AP figures published Wednesday showed former Rep. Mary Peltola (D) at 48.2% and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) at 47.9% of first-choice votes. Those were first-choice votes only, and analysts estimated 50,000 to 75,000 ballots were still outstanding.

How ranked-choice voting decides it. If no one gets more than 50% of first choices, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those ballots move to each voter’s next choice. That repeats until someone has a majority. So the candidate ahead on first choices may not end up winning.

Why each side claims an edge. A Sullivan campaign memo projected a narrow Sullivan win once rankings on already-counted ballots are applied. That is a campaign’s own calculation on partial data. Pollster Ivan Moore told Alaska Public Media he expects the remaining ballots to favor Peltola, while the Sullivan campaign argues the opposite. Alaska Public Media said it is impossible to know yet how those ballots will break.

The second Sullivan on the ballot. A candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan also ran and was in last place. A New York Times investigation accused Democrats of recruiting same-name and other potential spoiler candidates, which the Peltola campaign has denied. Alaska Public Media also reported that, if Peltola stays ahead, there was no sign the Trump administration or Gov. Mike Dunleavy had dropped the idea of blocking certification to investigate whether voters confused the two names.

When will we know?

Mississippi could become clear around November 10 to 13, unless a court challenge follows. Alaska is unlikely to be settled before the November 18 tabulation. We will update this page as the races are called. For the full picture, see the Senate results.