2 Senate races still counting: Alaska and Mississippi

What happened

Two U.S. Senate races remain unresolved two days after Election Day, even as Democrats have already secured majorities in both chambers. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola led Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan 102,962 to 102,325 in preliminary first-choice tallies — about 48.2% to 47.9% — with roughly 75% of expected votes counted, according to AP and CBS News. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom led Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith 464,926 to 463,788, a margin of 1,138 votes with about 96% of the vote counted, CBS News and other national tallies reported.

Alaska's Division of Elections has said ranked-choice tabulation is scheduled for Nov. 18 if no candidate has a majority of first-choice votes, with certification possibly stretching toward Nov. 25, CBS News reports. Candidates and state officials have warned the count could take weeks as remote and absentee ballots continue to arrive. Sullivan is seeking re-election; Peltola, Alaska's former at-large House member, is the Democratic nominee in a race that also featured a second Republican named Dan Sullivan on the ranked ballot, complicating first-choice math.

Mississippi's gap has widened from the razor-thin early margin US Brief covered on Nov. 4, when Hyde-Smith and Colom were separated by only 65 votes with fewer counties finished. With most of the state now reported, Colom's lead is larger but still under one-quarter of 1% of the votes counted so far (1,138 out of 928,714 combined for the two candidates). Outstanding ballots and any canvass corrections can still move a race this close.

Why it matters

Control of the Senate is already decided, but these seats still decide who holds individual offices and how wide Democrats' majority is. Alaska's ranked-choice system means a first-choice lead is not a win until a candidate clears a majority or later rounds are tabulated. Mississippi's margin is small enough that outstanding ballots, provisional votes, and possible recounts could still flip the result.

What’s next

Watch Alaska's Nov. 18 ranked-choice run and Mississippi's county canvass calendars. Neither seat should be treated as called until state election officials or major wire services project a winner.