Trump wins 2 key battleground states as vote counting continues

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump won two key battleground states with vote counting underway and Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris hoping for a longshot victory early Wednesday morning.

Trump is currently leading Harris in the race to reach 270 Electoral College votes 247-210 after he notched pivotal wins in Georgia and North Carolina, according to The Associated Press. Harris' path to the White House has now become increasingly precarious with Trump expected to address supporters in the early morning hours.

Either candidate needs to win 270 Electoral College votes to claim victory. Delegates are allocated to states based on their population, and most states give all of their representatives to whichever candidate wins the state in the general vote.

The winner-take-all model is not followed in Nebraska and Maine, however, which instead allocate their votes based on the outcome in congressional districts, as well as the state’s popular vote winner.

Polls have officially closed across all US states with vote counting underway, including in the five remaining swing states -- Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Both candidates spent the final week before the election campaigning hard in swing states, with Harris visiting Pennsylvania for a series of rallies in multiple cities Monday. Trump spent the day there before a late-night rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan.