Donald Trump on track for key Florida victory as Joe Biden tipped to lose swaths of Latino votes

US President Donald Trump's supporters celebrate in front of the Versailles restaurant in Miami, Florida

Credit: EPA

US Election Article Bar

Donald Trump appeared on track on Tuesday to win the big prize of Florida in early results from his battle against Democrat Joe Biden for the White House after gigantic voter turnout in the most polarised US election for decades.

Florida is widely considered a must win for Mr Trump to retain the presidency, but opinion polls had shown Mr Biden edging even or ahead, offering the Democrat the tantalising prospect of knocking his opponent out at the start of counting.

Seen by voting experts as a crucial state for the US president in his quest for the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency, Mr Trump was leading Biden 50.5% to 48.5% based on about 90% of the estimated total votes. Electoral College votes are assigned to each state, in part based on their population.

The Trump campaign claimed victory there after US media reports showed him capturing swaths of the Latino vote that had previously been loyal to Democrats — although the state had yet to be called for either candidate.

"President Trump wins Florida," the campaign tweeted.

President @realDonaldTrump wins #Florida!

Source: @DecisionDeskHQ pic.twitter.com/JgxwA42flr

— Team Trump (Text VOTE to 88022) (@TeamTrump) November 4, 2020

Mr Biden’s team has long insisted that it doesn’t need to win Florida and analysts pointed to gains for the Democrat in some Trump areas of the state that might bode well in other big states.

In Miami, Juan Carlos Bertran, a 60-year-old Cuban-American mechanic, said Mr Trump "seems better to me for the country’s economy."

"Now I have two jobs," he said. "Before I only had one."