The turnout in the second round of the French presidential elections reached 26.41 percent until mid-Sunday, nearly two points lower than the second round of the presidential race in 2017 (28.23 percent), according to the Ministry of the Interior.
However, participation exceeded 25.5 percent recorded in the middle of the day that took place in the first round on April 10, when President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right rival Marine Le Pen advanced to the second round, which several polls showed may see 4 voters abstain from voting.
Polling stations opened at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) in France, Sunday, for the second round of the presidential elections, in which about 48.7 million voters will choose between current President Emmanuel Macron and the leader of the far-right Marine Le Pen.
On Sunday afternoon, the Ministry of Interior is supposed to provide preliminary figures on the participation rate.
Emmanuel Macron is the favorite to win a second term, but analysts have warned that low turnout could affect the outcome in both directions.
Preliminary forecasts are expected from polling regulators as soon as the funds close.
Analysts said Le Pen remains unpalatable to many voters despite her efforts to smooth her image and tone down some of the National Rally's policies.
However, it is not excluded that Le Pen will achieve a surprise victory, given the large number of voters who are undecided or unsure whether they will vote at all in the second round of the elections.
No candidate, according to opinion polls, can count solely on committed supporters, as much depends on the group of voters balancing the fallout from choosing a far-right president with anger at Macron's record since his election in 2017.
And if Le Pen wins, it will likely bring about the same sense of stunned political turmoil as Britain's vote to leave the European Union or the election of Donald Trump as US president in 2016.
Macron, 44, who won the same round five years ago, warned of a "civil war" if Le Pen, whose policy includes a headscarf ban in public, is elected, has called on Democrats of all stripes to support him against the far right.
Le Pen, 53, has campaigned on the rising cost of living in the world's seventh-largest economy, with many French saying the cost of living has increased dramatically with global energy prices. She also focused on Macron's style of leadership, which she says shows the elite's contempt for ordinary people.
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- Agencies