Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has taken a commanding early lead in the states of Kentucky and Indiana, according to initial vote counts reported by the Associated Press.

With 2% of the votes tallied in Indiana, Trump is leading with 71.1% compared to Democratic candidate Kamala Harris's 27.4%.

Similarly, in Kentucky, Trump holds 66.1% of the vote, while Harris trails with 32.8%, with 2% of ballots counted.

Kentucky and Indiana, both traditionally Republican states, were the first to close their polling stations on Election Day, marking the beginning of a long night of vote counting across the country.

Early results from these states are consistent with pre-election expectations in areas that strongly lean Republican.

As the evening progresses, the focus will shift to key battleground states, where the outcome remains uncertain and could ultimately decide the race for the White House.