Officials in Hinds County finished processing long-awaited affidavit ballots on Wednesday in the historic Mississippi U.S. Senate race between Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Scott Colom. 

The race was called by The Associated Press hours after Hinds finished its tally, based on incomplete and unofficial votes, but with 99% of precincts statewide reporting.

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Election workers in Hinds counted 67 outstanding mail-in ballots and processed 817 accepted affidavits. Votes were still outstanding elsewhere, but the total from the large county likely proved pivotal . 

Voters cast 2,426 affidavits in Hinds County. Of those, the election commission rejected 1,609 and accepted 817. Colom’s lead has increased to over 4,400 votes over Hyde-Smith with 99% of the vote counted.

Overall, Colom won the county with 63,302 votes to Hyde-Smith’s 14,925. Independent Ty Pinkins got 997 votes in the county.

Hinds County Circuit Clerk Zack Wallace said he urged election commissioners to certify the results on Wednesday, but they wanted to wait until Thursday.

“I think they probably just want to double-check everything and not rush the certification and just make sure all the T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted,” Wallace said.

The nation has been watching Mississippi, and Hinds County in particular, as the Magnolia State is one of two states with its Senate race not called more than a week after Election Day. Poll watchers, attorneys and media hovered again Wednesday as the Hinds Election Commission finalized the vote tally.

As Hinds County Election Commissioner Yvonne Horton and her colleagues counted the last remaining ballots on Wednesday, Horton said the process had gone according to plan, despite the prolonged period for uploading final results. Some observers have long criticized Hinds County for delays in reporting results, and videos of workers counting ballots by hand have swirled on social media all week, prompting frustration.

“They are ignorant about our process. They just don’t know,” Horton said. “And I don’t have time to tell them.”