Midterms Five Days On: Colom Leads by About 2,500 in Mississippi, Alaska Waits and 19 House Races Are Uncalled

The remaining ballots are affidavit ballots, cast when a voter's eligibility had to be confirmed, and late mail. Voters have until Tuesday 10 November to show ID to their circuit clerk, and mailed absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day must arrive by then. Counties must certify by Friday 13 November, and the Mississippi Free Press listed thousands of affidavit ballots outstanding in Hinds, DeSoto, Harrison, Rankin and Jackson counties. Republicans have asked counties to separate and preserve those ballots, which Colom's lawyers call baseless. Democracy Docket reported letters and threats of legal action but no filed lawsuit, and Mississippi has no formal recount process, so any challenge would go straight to court.

When will Alaska's Senate race be decided?

Democrat Mary Peltola led Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan by 637 votes with about 74 percent counted, and the count had not moved since Wednesday morning, the Yahoo blog said. Officials expected more batches on Monday and Tuesday. If no one tops 50 percent, ranked-choice tabulation begins on 18 November, and State Capital Lobbyist says mail ballots count for 10 days. Our earlier report has the background on the minor-party votes that may decide it.

Which House races could still change?

The best known is Colorado's 4th District, where Democrat Eileen Laubacher led Rep. Lauren Boebert by 3,172 votes, 48.8 percent to 47.9, with 97 percent counted. Counties have until 13 November to finish. State Capital Lobbyist notes the county canvass deadline is 25 November and that Boebert had not conceded.

So the week ahead is not about control. It is about whether Democrats finish with a Senate majority of 54, 55 or 56 and how large a House margin they carry into January.