Which states does Donald Trump need to win?

The race for 270 is officially underway, and former President Donald Trump is currently in the lead to get the Electoral College votes any candidate needs to win the White House.

None of the seven battleground states in the 2024 presidential election – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – have yet been called.

As of 9:15 p.m. ET, Trump is leading in Georgia with 52.7 percent of the vote. Vice President Kamala Harris received 46.6 percent of the vote. An estimated 69 percent of votes have been counted in the Peach State, meaning Harris could still make up ground in an election expected to be one of the closest in American history.

However, if things continue to pan out this way, that would give Trump 16 electoral votes in Georgia. Here's which other states he'd need to reach 270 in before Harris:

Can Trump win without Pennsylvania?

The short answer is: yes.

The long answer? Trump is expected to win Arizona's 11 electoral votes. With Arizona and Georgia under his belt, Trump could be elected to a second term if he takes North Carolina in addition to just one of the three Great Lakes states.

With 16 electoral votes each in Georgia and North Carolina, he wouldn't need Pennsylvania to win.

Breaking down Donald Trump by state

What happens if Trump loses North Carolina?

In this case, he would have to wear the crown jewel of the swing states, Pennsylvania, to win the White House.

With 19 electoral votes, the Keystone State has the most electoral votes up for grabs. Without North Carolina, Trump can't afford to lose Pennsylvania to Harris because if it took both states, it would only need one swing state to go his way. That could be Michigan, Wisconsin or even Nevada, which has the fewest electoral votes of the seven battleground states with just six votes.

Plus, there's still a chance Harris could take Georgia.

Which states did Trump win?

As of 9:15 p.m. ET, 14 states were called for Trump, giving him 154 electoral votes.

The former president won Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming. Trump also won Florida, once a swing state but now reliably red.

Trump is watching the election from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Even though the state was called Republican early in the night, its guards cheered loudly when the Sunshine State's votes went to Trump.

Florida has become increasingly red in recent elections. Trump won the state in 2016 by just over one percentage point. He extended his lead to more than three points in 2020 and is expected to win by an even larger margin this year.