President Bush and Democratic challenger Senator John Kerry are locked in a tight election, with the race extremely close in the so-called battleground states that may decide the contest.
So far, exit polls give Mr. Bush the lead with 196 electoral votes, to 112 for Mr. Kerry. To win the election, a candidate must receive at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes.
But there was not enough information immediately available to call the races in a number of states, including the populous battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida.
Exit polls indicate Mr. Bush is the winner in 22 states, mainly in the South and West. Mr. Kerry is the projected winner in 10 states in the Northeast and Midwest and Washington, DC.
Turnout was reported heavy as voters finally decided who will be the next president after a long and heated campaign focused on the war on terrorism, Iraq, and the economy.