Trump defies exit polls, projected to win 198 electoral votes, Harris trails

The vote counting for the US elections has begun; US networks have projected Donald Trump winning in 17 states and Kamala Harris winning in seven states. As for the electoral college numbers, which will determine the winner in this election, the former president is ahead with 198 votes and Harris trails with 99. Each candidate is aiming to achieve the magic figure of 270 electoral college votes.

These projections are from partisan states that have historically voted Democratic or Republican and do not include the seven battleground or swing states that hold the key to this election. In the swing states, Harris is ahead 3-2 and trends from two states – Nevada and Arizona – are yet to come in.

The seven swing or battleground states of Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin are expected to decide who will be the 47th President of the United States. The contest between Trump and Harris has been fierce and both sides were neck-and-neck even on Tuesday, which was the penultimate polling day.

Exit polls have shown that the state of democracy and the economy, and abortion were the most important issues for US voters going into the polls. A poll conducted by CBS News showed that nearly six in 10 people considered the state of democracy as their number one issue, followed by abortion, which was chosen as an important issue by five per cent of voters. The economy was chosen as a priority issue by one in ten.

An exit poll conducted by CNN said that nearly three-quarters of voters have a negative view of things going on in the US today. According to the survey, only a quarter said they were excited or satisfied with the state of the country, while more than four in 10 were dissatisfied and nearly 30% said they were angry.