The French go to the polls to elect the president

The polling station opens at 8 a.m. (13 a.m. local time) and closes at 8 p.m. According to Radio France24, about 48.7 million voters have voted Register to vote but the most recent surveys show that the number of voters who do not turn out may be as high as 25%.

The French Interior Ministry announced that as of 5 p.m., the turnout rate was only 65%, 4 percentage points lower than the same period in 2017.

Voters cast their ballots in the first round of the French presidential election on April 10 REUTERS

Purchasing power and war in Ukraine This year’s election is of the utmost concern at a time when food and energy prices are on the rise. In addition, issues of immigration, health and climate change also attract a part of voters’ concerns. There are 11 candidates from the left to the far right running to replace incumbent President Emmanuel Macron, who also wants to become the first president to be re-elected since Jacques Chirac did so in 2002.

Until a few weeks ago, polls showed Mr. Macron could win thanks to an improved image of his active diplomatic role in Ukraine, the strong economic recovery and the weakness of opposition candidates. However, his late entry into the race, high inflation and an action plan that includes raising the retirement age have all contributed to a decline in his popularity.

However, the latest polls right before the election showed that Mr. Macron and the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen are likely to pass the first round and face each other in the second round on April 24.