The 2024 US presidential election is shaping up to be a fiercely contested race.
With Republican former President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris each securing major wins, according to projections by the Associated Press (AP). Trump has already claimed 210 electoral votes across 21 states, including Texas and Florida, while Harris has garnered 113 electoral votes from 11 states.
Both candidates are vying for history in this election — Harris aiming to be the first woman to hold the office of President, while Trump seeks to become only the second former commander-in-chief to win a non-consecutive term.
A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to claim the presidency, and these initial projections provide only an early snapshot of the race.
Polls have now closed in more than 40 of 50 states. The election’s outcome is expected to hinge on a handful of battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The outcome may not be finalised for days if the race is as close as pre-election polls suggested.
SWING STATES TAKES CENTRE STAGE
Harris’s path to victory depends on winning the “blue wall” states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In Pennsylvania, after leading Trump in early trends, Harris fell behind by 2.4 points with around 60 per cent of ballots counted.
Trump also has an advantage in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Georgia is leaning towards Trump, where, with 66 per cent of votes counted, he leads Harris by 5.7 points, positioning him for the state’s 16 electoral votes.
TRUMP, HARRIS NOTCH EASY WINS
Shortly after polls closed in the first round of states, AP called Republican-leaning Indiana and Kentucky for Trump and the long-standing Democratic stronghold of Vermont for Harris.
In the deep-red state of Texas, Trump claimed 40 electoral votes for the third election in a row. He also carried Ohio, defeating Harris to add the state’s 17 electoral votes to his count. Meanwhile, Harris scored a much-needed win in New York, adding 28 electoral votes.
Illinois stayed blue and gave its 19 electoral votes to Harris, who also gained 14 votes from the traditionally Democratic state of New Jersey. Harris also notched up wins in Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Colorado and the District of Columbia.
In West Virginia, Trump won for the third straight election, adding four more electoral votes to his total. Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Carolina, Arkansas, Wyoming, Louisiana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Missouri, Montana, Utah, Kansas, and Iowa went to him in quick succession. He also bagged Florida, which accounts for 30 electoral votes.
Voters across the US turned out in record numbers to choose between Harris and Trump in a high-stakes election that will either make the 60-year-old Democrat the first female President or mark a historic comeback for Trump. Many voters cited the state of democracy and the economy as their top concerns, according to initial exit polls.
The election caps a turbulent campaign season marked by high tensions and historic events. Trump, who faced two assassination attempts, cast his ballot earlier Tuesday near his Florida home. “If I lose an election, if it’s a fair election, I’m gonna be the first one to acknowledge it,” Trump said.
Harris, who voted by mail in California, could break new ground as the first Black woman and South-Asian American president. Both chambers of Congress are also up for grabs in this election, with Republicans narrowly controlling the House and Democrats holding a slim majority in the Senate. According to recent polling, both chambers could potentially flip.