MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Polls have closed on the West Coast of the United States, as well as in the Pacific island state of Hawaii, with Alaska set to bring up the rear at 1 a.m. EST (6:00 GMT) on Wednesday.
The real estate mogul has an 80-90 percent chance to win the presidential election, according to New York Times’ projections, which had earlier put his odds at 50 percent.
BIG FLORIDA WIN FOR TRUMP
Florida’s diverse population of almost 19 million Latinos, military retirees and over-65s mirrors the heterogeneous makeup of US society.
This largest swing state is sometimes seen as a barometer of attitudes among voters, having previously determined George W. Bush’s victory against Al Gore in 2000 and Barack Obama’s dominance over Mitt Romney in 2012.
FIGHT FOR KEY BATTLEGROUNDS
In this election, the prime battleground states are Florida (29 electors), Pennsylvania (20), Ohio (18), and North Carolina (15). The second tier includes Arizona (11), Nevada (6) and Iowa (6).
Pennsylvania is the country's sixth most populous state. It voted for Democrats in the last six elections, and only voted for Republicans during the 1980s. The state's two largest cities, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, are seen as its Democratic strongholds whereas its more rural counties typically vote 'Red', i.e. Republican.
So far, the Republican has the edge over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, having won Idaho, Indiana, Montana, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Kansas, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas.
Clinton got the upper hand in Vermont, Illinois, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Virginia, Oregon, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Hawaii and the District of Columbia, according to the New York Times.
