US election results: Trump leads in Georgia, key battleground state. What do early trends indicate?

As vote counting progresses in Georgia, early trends from this crucial battleground state show former President Donald Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris by a significant margin. With 21.7% of the estimated vote tallied as of 6:20 am [IST], Trump holds 59.8% of the vote, while Harris has 39.8%.

US Elections 2024 Results

Georgia, which was once a Republican stronghold, has become one of the most contested swing states in the country following the 2020 election. In that race, Georgia’s 16 electoral votes went to Joe Biden, making him the first Democrat to carry the state since Bill Clinton in 1992. Biden’s narrow win of just 11,779 votes, or 0.2%.

Here are some key trends emerging from the early returns and exit polling in Georgia:

• Trump's lead: Early voting trends show Trump leading Harris by more than 200,000 votes. According to AP VoteCast, nearly 80% of Trump voters in Georgia said they were supporting the former president, while about 20% stated they were voting against Harris.
• Harris' support: Kamala Harris is receiving substantial backing from Georgia's Black voters, a demographic that makes up 30% of the electorate. While Harris is securing 86% of Black voters—slightly lower than Joe Biden’s 88% in 2020—she continues to do better with Black women than Black men, mirroring trends from the previous presidential election.
• Early voting trends: As is typical in Georgia, most voters cast their ballots early in person, and results are expected to be reported quickly. Mail-in voting, which was a larger part of the electorate in 2020, has returned to more typical levels of around 6% in 2024, meaning the race could solidify in the coming hours.
• Key issues: Major issues in Georgia are influencing voter decisions. The ongoing criminal case against Trump, centered on his alleged attempts to interfere with Georgia’s 2020 election results, remains a significant factor. Additionally, the state’s controversial six-week abortion ban, which was implemented after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, is shaping the race. Vice President Harris has campaigned extensively on reproductive rights, especially following the deaths of two women who advocates claim were impacted by the abortion restrictions.

With Georgia’s 16 electoral votes at stake, both campaigns are closely watching the state’s progress.