US Election: Donald Trump on course for victory

With polling over in three dozen US states, Republican Donald Trump took a surprise lead over his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton in one of the most bitterly contested fights for Presidency.

The New York Times — for the first time — gave Trump a 61 per cent chance of becoming the next US President, proving wrong most pundits who had predicted a Clinton win in a tightly fought battle.

Trump, who appeared a loser only weeks ago, on Tuesday led with 149 electoral votes to Clinton’s 109. A total of 270 is needed to take charge of the White House.

CNN said with 48.9 per cent, Trump was ahead of Clinton (47 per cent) in the national popular vote. He had one million votes more in his kitty.

CNN projections gave Trump impressive leads in Virginia, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Wyoming and, vitally, in the key battleground states of Florida, Ohio and North Carolina.

The former Secretary of State was projected to win in New York, Texas, Vermont, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut and the District of Columbia.

In Florida, Trump led among white voters, including those with a college degree, the New York Times said.

Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Iowa, Nevada and Utah were too close to call, CNN said.

Both Clinton and Trump earlier voted along with their families in New York on the morning of the election day on Tuesday.