Trump Takes Edge With Independent Voters in Georgia, new Swing State Exit Poll Reveals

Election night is underway and as polls start closing across the country, the first votes are getting reported. In Georgia, the first battleground state to close their precincts, former president Donald Trump is emerging with a surprising victory among independent voters.

Early exit polls by CNN showed the former president winning the electorate by 54% to Harris' 43% in the first hour after the polls closed at 7 p.m. ET.

The news comes as bomb threats in the state led to evacuations and some disruptions in voting, despite none of them being found to be credible. The latest episode took place in DeKalb County, which is majority Black. Fox 5 Atlanta reported that police was blocking off the Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library, with people standing across the street.

Police was performing bomb threats at seven other precincts, illustrating the extent of the threats. "Every asset that we have will be deployed to ensure that every citizen who wants to vote will be given that opportunity and every vote cast will be counted," said DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond.

Georgia is considered a must-win battleground state for the two candidates. Trump won in the state in 2016, with President Joe Biden narrowly taking the Peach State in 2020.

The state has also been a focus for both campaigns, as they spent their closing moments there Harris visited Atlanta on Saturday, where she was joined by multiple celebrities, pitching lower taxes for small business, proposals to reduce childcare expenses and more.

Trump, on the other hand, placed emphasis on border policies and the economy at a rally in Macon.