A group of people talking with each other
Hinds County officials gathered to speak with eachother at the Hinds County Election Commission warehouse in Jackson, Miss., shortly after affidavit ballot scanning was completed on Nov. 11, 2026. MFP Photo by Grace Marion

Scott Colom ran away with Hinds County’s affidavit ballot count, winning 703 of the accepted ballots compared to Cindy Hyde-Smith’s 96. The Associated Press reports Colom’s statewide lead is now at 3,783 votes.

Hinds County election officials finished scanning affidavits at 1 p.m. today and are now preparing to certify the county’s results.

Independent Ty Pinkins earned eight affidavit ballots. There was also one write-in ballot for an unknown individual.

Capital Bureau Reporter Grace E. Marion is covering the capital city, Jackson, as well as surrounding rural, urban and suburban areas in Hinds County, Madison County and Rankin County. She is a reporter and photojournalist with a passion for narrative writing and investigative reporting. Her work as a journalist has earned her coverage in publications like the Columbia Journalism Review, the Hechinger Report, and the Student Press Law Center. Grace is a member of the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).

Grace graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media in 2022 with a degree in print and broadcast journalism, and from the University of California at Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism in 2024.