About 25.48 percent of the electorate had gone to the polls by noon, compared to 28.54 percent in the last presidential election of 2017, when Emanuel Macron was first elected president. However, turnout so far remains above the record low of 21.40 percent in 2002. Updated arrival numbers are expected at 5pm local time. The polls close at 8 pm, when the first exit polls will be published. President Macron and Marin Le Pen are clearly the first of the 12 candidates, although Macron’s lead has dropped significantly in recent days. The president’s camp worries that high abstention rates could be used by opposition candidates in the event of Macron’s victory to challenge the legitimacy of his victory. The two winners of today’s round will face each other in the second round on April 24. Nearly 49 million people have the right to vote in the presidential race.
