Electoral College Map 2012: Obama Hits 271 Votes, Enough To Win Election
Enough states have become Obama territory on Electoral College map projections that if the forecast holds up, Obama will win a second term as president of the United States.
According to The Huffington Post's electoral map projection, Obama can count on at least 271 electoral votes on Election Day, which would be enough to push him past the 270 vote threshold needed to win the presidency.
CLICK HERE to check out The Huffington Post's electoral projections along with its interactive map.
Obama's 271 electoral votes puts him firmly in the lead, with his Republican challenger Mitt Romney lagging behind with 191 electoral votes and 76 votes still hanging in the balance as too close to call.
The Huffington Post's data breaks down the states and their respective electoral votes as follows:
-Strong Obama: 237 electoral votes
-Leans Obama: 34 electoral votes
-Toss Up: 76 electoral votes
-Leans Romney: 0 electoral votes
-Strong Romney: 191 electoral votes
Just one day ago, on Wednesday, Obama's lead was not as big as it is presently. Though he was still safely ahead of Romney, he only had 253 electoral votes safely in his pocket, which was 17 fewer than he needs to win another four years in the White House.
But from Wednesday to Thursday, The Huffington Post moved 18 electoral votes from the toss up category to the "leans Obama" category, which means the president is poised for victory on Nov. 6 if things play out as anticipated.
But things could certainly turn out differently once all the votes are cast. Even other Electoral College projections give different results than The Huffington Post's forecast of an Obama victory.
For example, the electoral map from polling firm Rasmussen has the race in a much tighter state, with Obama at 237 electoral votes, Romney at 235 votes and 66 votes still too close to call.
