Democrats can start the celebration.

The Associated Press says Barack Obama has built a "near insurmountable" in the Electoral College on his way to becoming the first black president of the United States.

Obama had 202 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House, the AP says. McCain had 80, according to the wire service.

The popular vote is almost even, but it's the electoral votes that win the presidency.

According to the AP, Obama has won Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey, as well as the District of Columbia.

The wire service says McCain has won Utah, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, West Virginia and North Dakota.