Washington - Democrat Barack Obama was elected the next president of the United States over Republican John McCain, capturing the 270 votes needed to prevail in the Electoral College, according to projections by major US news networks.

The complex electoral college system awards each of the 50 states' and the District of Columbia's electoral votes to the candidate who prevails in the state's popular vote. A candidate needs 270 votes to clinch the White House.

There are 538 total electoral votes available, but results were still not in from a handful of states. At least two television networks have projected the winner in the following states: <#

OBAMA: Votes

Vermont 3 Illinois 21 Maine 4 Connecticut 7 New Jersey 15 Delaware 3 Maryland 10 Washington DC 3 Pennsylvania 21 New Hampshire 4 Massachusetts 12 Rhode Island 4 Michigan 17 Wisconsin 10 Minnesota 10 New York 31 Ohio 20 New Mexico 5 Iowa 7 Virginia 13 California 
55 Oregon 7 Washington 11 __________________ TOTAL: 293

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MCCAIN:

Kentucky 8 South Carolina 8 Tennessee 11 Oklahoma 7 Alabama 9 Georgia 15 Wyoming 3 North Dakota 3 Arkansas 6 Kansas 6 West Virginia 5 Louisiana 9 Texas 34 Utah 5 Mississippi 6 Nebraska 5 South Dakota 3 __________________ TOTAL 142