April 23 (UPI) — France’s voters are headed to polls, tasked with selecting one of 11 candidates for president.
Many of the 67,000 polling stations, which opened early on Sunday, featured a more significant security presence. Last week, a French terrorist with ties to the Islamic State shot and killed a police officer in Paris.
The heightened tensions haven’t deterred voters, however. As of midday, 28.54 percent of the country’s 47 million eligible voters had cast a ballot — a higher turnout than 2012’s presidential election. Many pundits predicted a depressed voter turnout.
Most reports suggest far-Right candidate Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron, former economy minister and independent centrist, entered election day as the front-runners. But the race has tightened in recent weeks as former prime minister Francois Fillon, a conservative, and far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon generated enthusiasm among dissatisfied French voters.
None of the four favorites are expected to win a majority of the vote. The two candidates with the highest totals will advance to a runoff election on May 7.
Most polls close at 7 p.m. local time, with a handful of urban polling stations remaining open until 8 p.m. Election results are expected late Sunday evening.
