‘Voter apathy’ toward Hyde-Smith could be factor in Mississippi Senate race: Professor

A Mississippi political science professor said voters seemed to be "really enthusiastic" about Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom, but when it comes to his opponent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R), "there was a lot of voter apathy."

"Colom's a really high-quality candidate," Aaron Hitefield, assistant professor in the Mississippi State University Department of Political Science and Public Administration, said during an appearance on NewsNation.

"Voters seemed really enthusiastic about him … when you compare that to Cindy Hyde-Smith, the current incumbent, there was a lot of voter apathy," Hitefield added. "I think you see that in the results currently."

The Senate race in the historically red-leaning state remains uncalled as Colom maintains a lead of a little more than 2,000 votes, according to The Hill's partner Decision Desk HQ . In the neck and neck battle for a seat in the U.S. Senate, the Democrat is leading by just 0.2 percentage points.

Mississippi Republican Party Chair Mike Hurst told the press Thursday that if "the laws are followed and the voters spoke, that is it and Mississippi Republicans will accept that ."

"There is no election denying going on here," he said.

The ballots are still being received in the Magnolia State, which allows mail ballots to be counted and received up to five business days after the election as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

Attorneys for Hyde-Smith recently demanded in a letter sent to the election commissioners in all 82 Mississippi counties that election officials separate the affidavit ballots, document their disposition and preserve "all associated materials."

An attorney for Colom , in a letter sent to county election commissioners Thursday, said the Republicans' demands "have no basis in Mississippi law."

"If you depart from ordinary election procedures as you have been asked to do, you will violate Mississippi voters' rights and Mississippi election law," the lawyer wrote in the letter.

By current tally, the Democrats will hold 54 Senate seats and, with Mississippi and Alaska still undecided, that number could grow to 56.