Donald Trump has secured early victories in Indiana and Kentucky as the first wave of states closed their polling locations, according to the The Guardian.
These wins add 19 electoral college votes to the former president’s tally, with Indiana contributing 11 votes and Kentucky providing 8.
The results from these two states were widely expected. Indiana was called for Trump with less than 15 percent of the vote reported, where the GOP led Democrats by a margin of 25 points.
Similarly, Kentucky was projected in Trump’s favor with under 13 percent of the votes counted, leaning Republican by approximately 39 points.
On the Democratic side, Vice President Kamala Harris notched her first win of the night in Vermont. The state will contribute 3 electoral votes to the Democratic ticket, kicking off what is expected to be a highly competitive race for the presidency.
Both Trump and Harris are in a fierce battle to reach 270 electoral votes, the magic number needed to secure the White House.
While early results from reliably Republican and Democratic states are rolling in, the ultimate outcome of the election will likely hinge on seven critical swing states: Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania, in particular, has emerged as a key battleground and is under intense scrutiny from both campaigns.
Many analysts and political observers believe it could be the decisive state in determining the next president, with both candidates investing significant resources and time there in the final stretch of the campaign.