Bush wins Georgia, Indiana and Kentucky

President Bush and challenger John Kerry traded early victories in a tense and testy US presidential election.

As the first polls closed, the president won Georgia, Indiana and Kentucky - all Republican bastions – and Kerry won the Democratic stronghold of Vermont.

Bush was awaiting the nation’s verdict in the White House while Massachusetts senator Kerry had returned to his Boston home.

“I’ve given it my all,” Bush said after voting at a fire station near his ranch in Crawford, Texas, before flying back to Washington.

Kerry got teary-eyed as he thanked his staff for a campaign’s worth of work. ”We made the case for change,” he said .

Alongside the first presidential election since the Sept. 11 attacks, control of Congress was at stake as Bush’s fellow Republicans sought to extend their hold on the House and Senate.

There appeared to be a massive turnout of voters which experts said would favour Kerry.