The Mississippi Senate race between Cindy Hyde-Smith and Scott Colom is closely contested, with Colom leading by over 2,000 votes as of Friday. The race has brought attention to a significant increase in inactive voter registrations, which rose to over 230,000 ahead of the midterms. This situation arose after a voter-roll cleanup involving data from Experian, raising concerns about the accuracy of third-party data. Secretary of State Michael Watson has since changed data providers and defended the integrity of the voting process, despite the challenges faced by some voters.
Key facts
- Colom leads Hyde-Smith by over 2,000 votes as of Friday.
- More than 230,000 voters were listed as inactive before the midterms.
- The number of inactive voters increased from approximately 166,000 in 2024.
- Secretary of State Michael Watson's office previously used Experian for voter address verification.
- Watson's office has switched to IDI Data and U.S. Postal Service records.
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