France: Voter turnout 63.23%, down 2% from 2017
The 2022 turnout as of 15:00 GMT is lower than the last two presidential elections at the same time.
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In 2017, Emmanuel Macron won the second round of the presidential election with 66.1% of the vote (Voix du Nord)
In the second round of the French presidential election, the voter turnout reached 63.23% as of 15:00 GMT, according to the French Ministry of Interior on Sunday.
Election polls opened at 6:00 GMT on Sunday as the final second round of presidential elections take place.
The top two candidates, Emmanuel Macron, who is the current President, and Marine Le Pen, the leader of the right-wing National Rally party, are head-to-head in their competition to win the seat, which they will claim for the next 5 years.
Read more: Macron lost the French left, but now needs it for victory
According to the Ministry, the 2022 turnout as of 15:00 GMT is lower than the last two presidential elections at the same time.
"In 2017, the turnout rate at 17:00 [1500 GMT] for the second round of the presidential election in metropolitan France was 65.30%. In 2012, this rate was 71.96% at the same time," the Ministry said.
Highest abstention in 50 years
The final rate of abstention is set to reach 28%, up 2.5% from 2017, according to our partners Ipsos-Sopra Steria.
That would be the highest level for a presidential run-off since 1969 when two center-right candidates faced off in a somewhat inconsequential clash.
Mélenchon's voters wanted
Both finalists have sought to sway voters who backed other candidates in the first round, particularly the 22% of voters who rallied behind the election’s third man, veteran leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
As he conceded defeat on April 10, Mélenchon urged his supporters not to give “a single vote” to Marine Le Pen. But he refused to call for a Macron vote to keep the far-right out of power.
Read more: Macron lost the French left, but now needs it for victory
Le Pen has sought to sway Mélenchon’s supporters by framing the vote as a referendum on Macron’s five years in office. The incumbent has countered by borrowing ideas from the left-wing candidate on climate, a key concern of young voters who backed the left in the first round.
Citizens in France aged 18 and above can cast their ballot in the presidential elections. Citizens can vote, whether living in France or abroad.
To become a candidate for the French presidency, 500 officials must elect the prospect.
As the election is held in two rounds, the first one took place on April 10, revealing Macron's popularity of 27.84% in comparison to Le Pen's 23.15%.
The first round on April 10 saw a low vote turnout compared to what was expected.
