Rabu, 05 November 2008

Obama Leads McCain In Electoral Votes As Early Election Results

With the polls officially closed in Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Delaware, New Jersey, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Alabama, West Virginia, South Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Vermont, Virginia and most of Indiana, Kentucky and Texas, CNN has projected preliminary wins for the two major-party presidential candidates.

Democratic Senator Barack Obama will take Vermont and its three electoral votes, as expected; CNN's exit polls show Obama leading Republican presidential hopeful Senator John McCain 57 percent to 36 percent in that state. Obama is also expected to take Massachusetts (with its 12 electoral votes); his home state of Illinois (21 electoral votes); Connecticut (seven); New Jersey (15); Maine (four); Joe Biden's home state of Delaware (three); Maryland (10); and Washington, D.C. (three).

Obama pulled off a major battleground win, according to MSNBC, which projects the Democratic presidential candidate could take Pennsylvania, considered a key swing state. Pennsylvania, which has historically been a Republican walkover and has 21 electoral votes, was a target for both parties, with both candidates campaigning heavily there in the final weeks of the campaign.

Meanwhile, McCain is projected to win in Kentucky, where exit polls indicate he's leading Obama 51 percent to 42 percent. Kentucky has eight electoral votes for the taking. McCain is also projected to take Oklahoma (and its 7 electoral votes); Tennessee (with 11 available); and South Carolina (where 8 electoral votes are being sought).

So far, CNN has Obama's electoral vote count at 77 and McCain with 34.

Meanwhile, CNN is reporting that 62 percent of exit-poll respondents said the country's current and future financial woes were the chief reason they waited in long lines for their shot behind the curtain. Nationwide, 10 percent of respondents pointed to the war in Iraq as their most important issue, and of those voters, 36 percent pulled the lever for McCain.

Meanwhile, 9 percent of voters said the threat of terrorism was the top issue in this year's election, 86 percent of whom supported McCain's candidacy. Health care was another inspiring issue for voters, with 9 percent saying it was the top issue weighing on their minds.

MTV News is at the polls in all 50 states — check out our coverage all day long on MTV and right here on MTVNews.com. Then, tell us why you voted! Comment below, upload video at yourhere.mtv.com, or text VOTE to 66333 with your first name, age, state and a comment about your experience. Your message will appear on our election map and could appear on TV today!