The essential :
- The generalized reserve period, which began this Friday at midnight, imposes media silence on the 12 candidates vying in the race for the Élysée. All public meetings, distribution of leaflets and digital propaganda are prohibited for politicians and their supporters. No interview, no poll and no estimate of result may be published in the media before the results, this Sunday at 8 p.m.
- 48.7 million French voters are called upon to vote in this first round of the presidential election.
- In Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, in Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and in French Polynesia, the inhabitants voted this Saturday. This Sunday, the polling stations open at 6 a.m. in Reunion and at 7 a.m. in Mayotte. In mainland France, voting booths are available to voters from 8 a.m.
- The verdict of the polls is expected at 8 p.m., with the first estimates from polling institutes.
08:09 – French people in Shanghai cannot vote on Sunday
Faced with the worst wave of Covid-19 in China since the start of the epidemic, Shanghai has been in total or partial confinement for two weeks. Under very strict health measures, the 25 million Shanghainese are forced to stay at home. In this context, “it was decided not to open the polling stations in Shanghai for the first round of the presidential election”, indicates in a press release the French Embassy, arguing “the official impossibility of moving “. Despite “repeated approaches”, including “at a high level”, the embassy specifies that it has not been able to obtain from the authorities a derogation for French voters. Regarding the second round, on April 24, everything will depend on “the evolution of local health standards”, specifies the embassy.
07:56 – Surgical masks left at the disposal in the polling stations
In mainland France, surgical masks will be available in all polling stations. Wearing them will not be compulsory, but “strongly recommended” for fragile people and those who have recently tested positive for Covid-19.
07:46 – In New Caledonia and Polynesia, a declining participation rate
In New Caledonia, which started voting on Saturday, under the heat wave, the turnout at noon peaked at 17.59%, against 19.86% 5 years ago. And in Polynesia, it was 12.34% at noon, against 22.24% at the same time in 2017, according to estimates from the High Commission.
07:33 – In Corsica, the separatists threaten the presidential election
They call for an “active boycott” of the election. While the island is in the grip of great tension, the intelligence services fear “disturbances”.
Read the report by our correspondent in Bastia, Julian Mattei – In Corsica, the separatists threaten the presidential election
07:19 – Metropolitan France: polling stations open until 7 p.m., 8 p.m. for large cities
In mainland France, the 66,546 polling stations will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. A prefectural decree allows voting until 8 p.m. in Paris and in certain other large cities, such as Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Rennes, Grenoble, Nantes and Bordeaux.
07:05 – Polling stations are open in Reunion and Mayotte
In the Indian Ocean, where the time difference is less with mainland France, Reunion votes this Sunday at 6 a.m., Paris time, and Mayotte at 7 a.m., before the opening in mainland France.
06:54 – Overseas France: some DOM-TOMs voted on Saturday
To account for the time difference, some overseas voters voted on Saturday. Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon got the ball rolling at 8 a.m. (noon in Paris), followed by Guyana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy. Then came the Pacific, with Polynesia, which started voting at 8 a.m. (8 p.m. in Paris), Wallis and Futuna and New Caledonia.
06:53 – France still immersed in the reserve period
Pending the first results, Sunday at 8 p.m., public meetings, distribution of leaflets and digital propaganda of the candidates are therefore prohibited since Friday evening at midnight in mainland France. No interviews, surveys or estimates may be published before the results.