Trump Projected As Winner In 3 States, Harris In 1 By US Networks

Counting has barely begun for the US elections and Donald Trump has already been projected as the winner in the Red states of Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia and Kamala Harris in the Blue state of Vermont by American networks.

In Indiana, which has 11 electoral college votes, Republican nominee Trump has received 61.9% of the ballots counted so far while Democratic nominee Harris has polled 36.4%. In 2020, Trump got 57% of the votes while then Democratic candidate Joe Biden received 41%.

Kentucky has eight electoral college votes and former president Trump has polled 69.7% of the ballots counted so far while Vice President Harris has received 28.7%. The state had voted in favour of Trump in 2020, with 62.1% of votes going to him and 36.2% being polled by Biden. 

Donald Trump has also been projected as the winner in West Virginia, which has four electoral college votes. 

According to US networks, the three electoral college votes of Vermont will go to Harris who is leading with 59.4% of the ballots counted, while Trump has received 37.9%. The state was won by Biden in the last elections and he got 66.1% of the votes while Trump received only 30.7%.

The worst bit of news for the vice president so far, however, is that she is trailing in the swing state of Georgia, which was narrowly won by Biden last time. Trump is ahead with 58.2% of the votes while Harris has got 41.3%. 

Trump is also ahead in Florida, South Carolina and Ohio while Harris has the edge in Virginia, North Carolina and New Hampshire. 

The seven swing or battleground states of Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin are expected to effectively decide who will be the 47th President of the United States. The contest between Trump and Harris has been a fiercely fought one and both sides appeared to be in a dead heat even on Tuesday, which was the day of voting. 

Exit polls showed that the state of democracy and the economy, and abortion were the most important issues for American voters heading into the election. A poll conducted by CBS News revealed that almost six in 10 people ranked the state of democracy as their number one issue, followed by abortion, which was picked by five per cent of voters as an important issue. Economy was picked as a priority issue by one in ten. 

An exit poll by CNN said nearly three-quarters of the electorate holds a negative view of the way things are going in the US today. Only about a quarter said they were enthusiastic or satisfied with the state of the nation, with more than four in 10 dissatisfied and roughly 30% saying they are angry, according to the poll.

(With PTI inputs)