US election: First results declared from some states

President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney have each taken several states, exit polls suggest, with no critical swing states awarded so far.

The polls showed swing state Virginia locked in a dead heat, BBC News reports.

Tens of millions of voters cast ballots on Tuesday. The election winner could be declared within hours, especially as other swing states report results.

Polls suggest a neck-and-neck race, but give the president a slender lead in crucial swing states.

Polling stations began closing in eastern states at 18:00 EST (23:00 GMT), with the crucial states of Virginia and Ohio closing at 19:00 EST and 19:30 EST respectively.

In those states and elsewhere, election workers at polling stations with long lines allowed voting to continue past the official closing.

Exit polls showed Mr Romney won Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Mr Obama has taken Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington DC.

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