Mississippi's U.S. Senate race remained uncalled Thursday night, three days after polls closed, as Democrat Scott Colom's lead over Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith kept growing with every fresh batch of ballots counted.

By Thursday evening, unofficial results showed Colom ahead by 1,882 votes, according to a live count tracked by the Mississippi Free Press — up sharply from a margin of just 43 votes on election night. Colom's campaign also announced Thursday that he had flipped Forrest County, home to Hattiesburg, further padding his position in a race that would make him the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi since 1982 if his lead holds.

No recount safety net

Mississippi's Secretary of State's office has confirmed to ABC News that the state has no formal recount process, meaning the outcome will hinge entirely on the normal canvassing and certification timeline rather than any triggered do-over. Thousands of ballots, including affidavit (provisional) votes in DeSoto County, were still being reviewed as of Thursday, according to WDAM, which reported Colom leading in that county's outstanding ballots as well.

WHEN EVERY LEGALLY CAST VOTE IS FULLY AND ACCURATELY COUNTED, MISSISSIPPIANS WILL HAVE REELECTED CINDY HYDE-SMITH.

That's the position Hyde-Smith's campaign has maintained as the count has dragged on, even as her Election Night lead evaporated. The Mississippi Free Press has separately fact-checked and knocked down at least one premature claim of victory for Colom that circulated on social media this week, underscoring how unsettled the count remains.

Mississippi Today has noted that a Colom win would break a 44-year Republican lock on the seat in a state Donald Trump carried by more than 20 points in 2024, making this one of the most closely watched down-ballot results of the entire midterm cycle. No timeline has been set for when all counties expect to finish canvassing, but officials on both sides say a final, certified margin could still be days away.