WASHINGTON DC: With polls closed across the East Coast, President Donald Trump and Democrat challenger Joe Biden are projected to win in their states, while the focus shifts to key states such as Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Biden has won in Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts while Trump is home in states like Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee, according to NYT. An intense contest is on in Florida and its 29 Electoral College votes. There, Trump is reportedly overperforming his 2016 vote totals in the Miami-Dade County, according to NYT. Florida is critical for Trump to hit the 270 votes to secure re-election. Apart from Florida, Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina are critical for Trump but as of now are too close to call.

US President Donald Trump, seeking re-election, and Democratic candidate Joe Biden have made early wins in several states as polls close across the United States. All eyes are now on the key battleground states, including Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Arizona, results of which are crucial for both contenders.

So far, Trump has won Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wyoming, Indiana, South Carolina and Utah. Biden, meanwhile, has taken Democratic-leaning states like Colorado, Columbia, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

The US is heading for a historic election with the voter turnout indicating the largest participation in a century. According to the United States Election Project, in at least six states — Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Oregon, Texas and Washington State — the turnout has been more than what we saw in the 2016 polls.

The latest tally of early voting in the US shows that almost 102 million Americans cast their votes before Election Day, an eye-popping total that represents 73 of the total turnout of the 2016 presidential election. Early voting — whether in person or by mail-in or absentee ballot — has swelled during the Covid-19 pandemic as voters have sought the safety and convenience it offers. The greatest gains have been witnessed in Kentucky where almost 13 times as many voters cast their ballots early as in 2016.

Biden has taken Democratic leaning states like Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico New York, Rhode Island Vermont and Virginia.

The key battleground states, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas are still too close to call.

Biden bags New Hampshire with 53.7% votes. Hillary Clinton had also win the state with a 0.4% margin, the second closest percentage behind Michigan in the 2016 presidential elections. The state has 4 electoral college votes.

US Senator Lindsey Graham, an ally of President Donald Trump, has defeated Democrat Jaime Harrison, according to Fox News and The New York Times which called the race with nearly half the precincts reporting. Lindsey Graham was also a close friend of Late US Senator John McCain, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has won Georgia’s open 14th Congressional District, reported Bloomberg.

She has been a very divisive figure and has even expressed support her for the QAnon conspiracy theory. Even though she has been criticised for racist comments, President Donald Trump called her a “future Republican star.”

Biden wins in New Mexico, which has five electoral votes.

Once a swing state, New Mexico has leaned heavily towards the Democrats in recent races. Hillary Clinton won the state in 2016, aided by increasing support from Latino voters.

Trump bags Kansas’ 6 electoral votes.

This was not a surprise as the state has been voting for Republicans for years. In 2016, Trump had taken this Republican stronghold with 56% votes.