France votes with Macron seeking new term

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron faced a tough test on Sunday as he sought re-election in a vote projected to produce a tight run-off duel with far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

Some 48.7 million voters were eligible to vote in the election after an unusual campaign overshadowed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which analysts have warned could lead to unpredictable outcomes especially if turnout is low.

Initial indications showed that midafternoon turnout was over four percentage points lower than at the same stage in 2017, indicating that participation could be the lowest since 2002, when record numbers of French stayed away. Polls predict that Macron will lead Le Pen by a handful of percentage points in round one, with the top two going through to a second-round vote on April 24.

Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon is snapping at their heels in third place and still fancies his chances of reaching the second round at the expense of Le Pen or even -- in what would be an extraordinary upset -- Macron himself. Macron cast his ballot in Le Touquet on the northern French coast, accompanied by his wife Brigitte, at around lunchtime. Le Pen voted in Henin-Beaumont, also in the north of the country, while Melenchon cast his ballot in the southern port city of Marseille.