Republican contender and former US President Donald Trump won the electoral votes from Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia in the first results announced on Tuesday for the 2024 presidential election while Vice-President and Democrat candidate Kamala Harris took Vermont, according to Edison Research forecasts.
The first polls to close were in first nine states, including crucial Georgia and North Carolina.
The latter two, along with Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are now “swing states” that will determine who will be the next American head of state. According to Reuters, opinion polls showed the two candidates in a dead heat ahead of Tuesday.
In terms of early exit polls during the day, nearly three-quarters of voters said democracy is under threat, Edison reported, followed by worries over the economy, illegal immigration and abortion rights. The specific exit poll reported 73% of voters believe democracy was in jeopardy, as opposed to 25% who said it was secure.
