Reports reaching us say the U.S Republican Presidential Candidate, Donald Trump has won key areas in the presidential election which has given him an edge over the Democratic Candidate, Hillary Clinton.
About 140 million Americans out of an eligible population of 220 million were expected to vote across the 50 states by the end of Election Day on Tuesday.
As polls close, early results are being released, predicting who has garnered the most votes in different states.
Candidates are racing to hit the magic number of 270 electoral votes, an absolute majority of the 538 members of the electoral college.
The latest results and projections amount to 244 electoral votes for Trump and 215 for Clinton.
Trump has taken: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Clinton has taken: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Washington DC, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia and Vermont.
Trump’s victories in crucial battleground states of Florida, Ohio and North Carolina have significantly narrowed Clinton’s path to victory.
The Republican candidate also hopes to carry two Democratic-leaning states of Michigan and Wisconsin, which seemed beyond his reach just a week ago.
The contest could hinge on the key states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
If Trump wins Wisconsin and takes its 10 electoral votes, he could be projected to win the presidency. He currently leads Clinton by 4 points in that state.
In Michigan, where Clinton has had several campaign stops in recent days, Trump also has the lead. The state has 16 electoral college votes.
The battleground of Pennsylvania is still too close to call. The state has 20 electoral votes, and Trump is narrowly ahead there as well.
In the popular vote, Trump is leading Clinton with nearly 49 percent compared to 47 percent for Clinton.
A final result is expected after midnight (05:00 GMT).
Meanwhile, election results for the House of Representatives and the Senate both appear to be moving in favor of the Republicans.
The White House in Washington,DC, is seen during the US presidential election night on November 8, 2016.
There were also reports of fatal shooting in California amid vote
As voters were casting their ballots across the country, an active shooting in the US state of California claimed the life of a person, injured four other people and forced closure of two nearby polling stations.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening in the city of Azusa, 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.
Two polling stations in the area were placed on lockdown along with nearby schools, according to local officials.
The suspect, armed with a rifle, reportedly was shooting at police but it is unclear whether any officers were injured.
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