US elections: Who leads in seven swing states as the battle between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris heats up?

There is a tough fight in five of the seven battleground states in the US that will decide the electoral fate of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. The former president has already won North Carolina and is currently leading in five swing states.

According to AP tracker, Donald Trump secured 25,71,258 votes in North Carolina with 50.8 percent while Kamala Harris secured 24,36,454 votes with 48.1 percent of the vote in the key swing state.

The Republican candidate is leading Harris in Wisconsin, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan, albeit by narrow margins, according to AP forecasts as of 9 am IST.

The elections in Nevada are still ongoing and initial forecasts are still pending.

Kamala Harris had been leading in Pennsylvania since results began, but lost the lead to Trump, who now leads by about two percentage points.

A total of 270 electoral votes are needed to win the presidency, and while the race is still open, both candidates have their eyes on history. Harris hopes to become the first woman to hold the highest office in the land, while Trump aims to make history as only the second former president to win non-consecutive terms.

Early forecasts showed Trump maintaining a strong presence in traditionally red states, securing victories in Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.

He also added 40 electoral votes from Texas, which he had received in every election since 2016. In Ohio, Trump defeated Harris and secured the state's 17 electoral votes.

Meanwhile, Harris is thriving in Democratic strongholds and won a big victory in New York, where she added 28 electoral votes to her total. She also maintained blue control of Illinois (19 votes), New Jersey (14 votes), and other states in the Northeast, as well as Colorado and Washington, DC

Attention has shifted to several battleground states where the election outcome could still go either way. Georgia, a key swing state, is currently trending in Trump's favor. With 66% of the votes counted, Trump leads Harris by 5.7 percentage points, securing Georgia's 16 electoral votes.

In Pennsylvania, Harris initially topped early voting trends, but Trump has since gained a slim lead with 20% of votes counted. The state, which has 20 electoral votes, remains too close to call.

The swing states contribute a combined 93 electoral votes. Trump won 16 electoral votes in North Carolina and is expected to win another 16 after winning Georgia.

Georgia is leaning towards Trump, where he is 5.7 points ahead of Harris with 66 percent of votes counted. To win the US election, Kamala Harris would have to carry Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, but Trump is currently leading in all battleground states.

Trump has currently won 230 electoral votes and his tally would easily exceed 270 if he wins the remaining swing states. The victory of Kamala Harris in California, who contributes the most votes (54), would only be a consolation if Trump continues his lead in the battleground.