In the US election run-up, experts said seven key battleground states will decide who among Kamala Harris and Donald Trump gets the key to the Oval Office in the White House. Six hours into counting of votes, the Republican candidate has already won the swing states of Georgia and North Carolina and is leading in the other five — Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada.

Harris had started well with leads in Pennsylvania and Michigan before Trump overtook her and widened the gap. In Pennsylvania, which has the maximum electoral college votes among swing states, 94 per cent of votes have been counted and Trump holds a 3 percentage points lead over Harris. He holds strong leads in Wisconsin, Nevada and Michigan and a slim advantage in Arizona.

If Trump eventually manages to win all seven swing seats, it would mean a huge upset because the Democrats had won six of them last time. Such a result would also mean a clear mandate for the Republicans and a complete rejection of the Democrats.

Also known as battleground states, swing states hold the key to victory in the US election. These states have a nearly equal level of support for the Democrats and Republicans, and the election is won and lost in these states. This year, the swing states are Pennsylvania, with 19 electoral college votes, Michigan (10), Georgia (16), Wisconsin (10), North Carolina (16), Nevada (6) and Arizona (11).

Overall, Trump is now projected to win 267 electoral college seats and Harris trails at 214. Both candidates are pushing hard for the magic figure of 270.