Two Senate Races Still Unsettled
Democrats hold both chambers, but officials in Alaska and Mississippi continue counting mail and provisional ballots five days after the election.
By Rosa Wojcik ·
Five days after the U.S. midterm elections, two Senate races remain unresolved. Election officials in Alaska and Mississippi are still processing mail-in ballots, provisional votes, and other pending sufragios. Although the Democratic Party has secured control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the exact seat counts and final margins for the Congress beginning in January 2027 remain unknown.
In Alaska, Republican Dan Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola in a race for re-election. The state uses a preferential voting system where voters rank candidates. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, candidates are eliminated and preferences are redistributed until a winner emerges. This mechanism can extend the counting process. CBS News reported that definitive results for Alaska were not expected until 15 days after the election day.
Mississippi presents a different logistical challenge. Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith is competing against Democrat Scott Colom. This contest was not among the most tightly contested before Election Day. However, thousands of mail-in ballots arrived legally after voting closed. Officials must also verify the eligibility of provisional ballots. Both candidates claimed they still had a path to victory according to reports from CBS News.
More than two dozen House of Representatives races also lack a projected winner. Florida accounts for several of these unsettled contests. In District 27, Republican Maria Elvira Salazar sought re-election against Democrat Eliott Rodriguez. Salazar, a congresswoman of Cuban origin, drew national attention for her disagreements with President Donald Trump on immigration policy. She had warned that the administration's policies could distance Latino voters.
In Florida’s District 9, Democrat Darren Soto attempted to retain his seat against Republican Dan Green. Another pending race is in District 26, where Republican Mario Diaz-Balart faces Democrat Nicole Locklin. CBS News listed these contests among those without a definitive projection as of November 7.
The delay stems from the fact that closing the polls does not end the vote count. State and local election authorities must tally advance ballots, mail-in votes, and provisional ballots. They must also complete verification procedures set by each jurisdiction. Electoral laws and deadlines for receiving and processing ballots vary by state. This variation causes some contests to take several days to resolve.
In states like Alaska and Maine, preferential voting mechanisms may require additional rounds of counting if no candidate reaches the necessary threshold. The Associated Press notes that its projections occur only when its team determines the trailing candidate has no viable path to victory. A race without a projected winner does not imply irregularities or an extraordinary recount. It simply indicates that insufficient data exists to declare a result.
