Indus Valley Times

AMERICA, NOV 6 :  US Vice President Kamala Harris is mounting a comeback in the presidential race, narrowing the gap after former President Donald Trump took a strong lead with projected wins in 24 states, including the key battleground of North Carolina.

Harris clinched California, the largest prize in the Electoral College, along with Washington and Virginia, bringing her total to 210 electoral votes to Trump’s 230, according to projections by news agency Associated Press (AP).

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. With 270 votes needed to win, the race remains tightly contested.

Polls have now closed in 48 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

In a blow to Harris, Donald Trump clinched the crucial battleground state of North Carolina, as per AP projections. With this, Trump not only retains his grip on the red state but also cements his path to the White House with 16 more electoral votes.

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 has a razor-thin lead over Harris in Arizona, which accounts for 11 electoral votes. With 50 per cent of votes counted, the Republican was leading with 49.7 per cent to Harris’s 49.5 per cent.

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. Results in Nevada are still pending.

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, New Mexico, Oregon, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia.

-The India Today