Presidential election in France - Polling stations have opened for the 1st round of the presidential election

 

Some 48.7 million voters are being called to cast their ballots to decide between the twelve candidates for the presidency of the Republic, including incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, favorites in the polls. The first results will be known after the closing of the last voting centers, at 20:00.

 

The Ministry of the Interior will give at midday the first figures on the turnout, feared to be down. In French Polynesia, where the vote was advanced to take into account the time difference, this rate amounted to 23.78% at 17:00 local time, against 43.97% at the same time in the first round in 2017. The pro-independence party, the main opposition party in this Pacific territory, had called for abstention. In New Caledonia, the participation reached a ceiling at midday at 17.59%, against 19.86% 5 years ago.