In the ongoing U.S. presidential race, Republican Donald Trump won 15 states while Democrat Kamala Harris took seven states plus Washington, D.C., based on projections from Edison Research. However, with close races in several key battleground states, it’s still too early to call the winner, and final results could take days, Reuters reported.
The contest appears to hinge on seven pivotal states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. According to Reuters, polls showed that both candidates were running nearly even in these areas heading into Election Day. As of 9:30 p.m. ET, with polls closed in 41 states, Trump led with 162 electoral votes to Harris’ 81, although either candidate could still reach the 270 votes needed to secure the presidency.
In North Carolina, Trump was projected as the likely winner by Decision Desk HQ, though other news outlets, including Edison, hadn’t confirmed the result. Reuters reported that Trump had a solid lead in Georgia, with 52.3% to Harris’ 47.1% after 77% of votes were counted. Congress, too, could change hands, with Republicans capturing a Senate seat in West Virginia, threatening Democrats’ slim control of the Senate, while the House remains undecided.
A significant issue in this election is abortion, with a Florida ballot measure aiming to protect abortion rights failing to pass the 60% threshold needed for approval. This means a six-week ban on abortion remains, Reuters noted, and similar abortion measures are being voted on in nine other states.
The nation remains divided, with nearly three-quarters of voters concerned about threats to American democracy, Reuters exit polls showed. Trump has cast doubt on the voting process, making unsubstantiated claims about fraud, particularly in Philadelphia and Detroit, echoing his past assertions from the 2020 election. Philadelphia officials, as Reuters highlighted, denied any truth to these claims, calling them “disinformation.”
As Election Day went on, Reuters reported that Trump and his supporters watched results at his Mar-a-Lago resort, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk reportedly joining him. Harris, who voted early by mail, spent her day encouraging Americans to vote and planned to speak at Howard University, where she once studied.
The stakes are high in this election. Harris, already the first female vice president, could make history as the first woman, Black woman, and South Asian American president if she wins. On the other hand, Trump would be the first U.S. president to secure non-consecutive terms in over a century, if he claims victory.
In Michigan, some voters were motivated by personal issues, such as reproductive rights, Reuters found. Nakita Hogue, 50, voted for Harris with her 18-year-old daughter, expressing concern about abortion access. Meanwhile, in Arizona, a union plumber named Jesse Miranda backed Trump, hoping for better economic policies and improved immigration control.
The intense competition, conflicting views, and complex issues make this a historic election, Reuters noted, with voters eagerly awaiting final results in the coming days.
Credit : Reuters