Why Are US Senate Results Delayed In Mississippi And Alaska States? - Latest Key Updates

Following the 2026 US mid-term elections, the political landscape has become largely clear. The Democratic Party has regained control of both houses of the US Congress, while however, results for two Senate seats are still awaited. These seats belong to the states of Mississippi and Alaska. The contest in both places is so close that no candidate's victory has been declared yet. In some places, a few thousand votes are still left to be counted, while in others, the method of counting votes is causing delays in the arrival of final results.

Understanding The US Midterm Election Structure

In the United States, presidential elections are held every four years, while congressional elections are conducted every two years. Elections held midway through a president's four-year term are known as mid-term elections. Voting takes place for both houses of parliament, namely the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the Senate, the Democratic Party is positioned to secure at least 54 seats. However, results from the two seats of Mississippi and Alaska are still pending. If the Democrats win both these seats, their position in the Senate could become even stronger.

Razor-Thin Margin Of 1,138 Votes In Mississippi

In Mississippi, Republican candidate and incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith is facing Democratic candidate Scott Colom. According to the Associated Press, Scott Colom was leading by 1,138 votes as of Wednesday night. About 96 percent of the votes had been counted here. The main reason for the delay is postal ballots and provisional ballots. Provisional ballots are votes in which the voter's identity or eligibility is pending verification. In Mississippi, 10 days are given to verify such votes. Meanwhile, some postal ballots can also be accepted up to five business days after the election. According to officials, about 3,600 postal ballots were left to be counted. The results in the state are scheduled to be certified by November 13.

Alaska Voting System And Unique Contest Dynamics

In Alaska, the contest is between Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. As of Wednesday night, Peltola was leading by 637 votes, and about a quarter of the votes were yet to be counted. A ranked-choice voting system is implemented here, while in this system, voters give first, second, and third preferences to candidates according to their choice. If any candidate doesn't get more than 50 percent of the votes in the first preference, the candidate with the lowest votes is eliminated. Their votes are transferred to the second-preference candidates, while this process continues until someone achieves a majority. Final results in Alaska are expected to arrive on November 18.

Controversy Over Two Dan Sullivan Names On Ballot

Another interesting case emerged in the Alaska election. Two candidates named Dan Sullivan were in the fray here. One is incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan, while the other is Dan J. , a retired teacher. Regarding this matter, the US Department of Justice had filed a petition in court to stop the process of certifying election results. The department claimed that having identical names could create confusion among voters. However, the federal court dismissed the petition, while the department of justice has stated its intention to appeal against this decision.