Swing states are too close to call for Obama, Romney

Updated map of the US showing the key undecided states, whose votes will decide the outcome of the US presidential election. AFP

WASHINGTON — White House rivals Barack Obama and Mitt Romney grabbed early wins Tuesday in states traditionally loyal to their parties but swing states Virginia, Florida and Ohio were too close to call.

Using exit polls and early partial results, US television networks projected victories for Republican flag-bearer Romney in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Obama, the Democratic incumbent, picked up Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont — all states in which he was favorite. He also picked up the District of Columbia.

Polls also closed in Ohio, Florida and Virginia, although officials allowed polling to continue at stations where there were long lines.

Networks said Virginia — which Obama won when he was first elected in 2008 and which would be vital in almost any Romney victory strategy — was too close to call, based on early exit polls and a small number of reported results.

The final opinion polls published before voting began showed the two candidates in a dead heat nationwide, but gave Obama a slight advantage in the handful of swing states like Virginia and Ohio that will decide the race.

The early results gave Romney a lead of 82 electoral college votes to 79, but none of them were unexpected and in themselves they formed no guide as to the eventual winner.

Each state has a quota of electoral college votes based on its population, and the eventual victor will be the candidate who tallies the most.