The French GE ... voting starts Sunday. ??

I suppose if they’re eligible to vote they’re not ‘ex-pats’ but residents now, paying their taxes there and in the health system etc.

The UK has a number of French polling stations for French citizens, I wonder how the ex pats voted ?

I was not asked who I voted for when I left the polling station. Incase you are interested here is my town’s results.

I feel sorry for French voters - having to choose between Macron and Le Pen!

The French voters had 12 candidates to choose from and Macron and Le Pen were the 2 most popular.

As usual don't believe everything you read in the press. The last week Marie Le Pen (who I admire but would not vote for
because gentler politics are needed re immigration) has seen
Mme Le Pen pushed forward in the English press.

The vacances scolaires stuff is a factor I think mokryna. The Paris zone could be interesting for the Macron vote. Let's hope they have done their proxies.

Thank for taking the time to explain the system there mokryna it’s very interesting to know the back story. Macron will no doubt go full-on this next fortnight campaigning as he will be wondering whether he or Le Pen will pick up the floating votes!

I thought UK style exit polls were forbidden in France, but the law may have changed? I have never seen any.
Actually my experience is that people are far more likely to say they will vote for Le Pen or Mélanchon and deny voting for Macron and the status quo. ?

Looks like it will be Macron v Le Pen then in the second vote.

No they are not all exit polls Maudi. Everyone votes in their local Mairie, smaller towns and villages are counted and declared by 8pm. (Both my former and current village voted Macron and one had 91% turnout ?). Then there is a complex system of counting representative cities and large towns to give the big picture. It is normally very accurate and with a tiny percentage of the actual vote. Mélanchon is within a couple of per cent of Le Pen, but he knows he won't overtake her for the run off.

The results are almost all in.
With 97% of results counted, Emmanuel Macron had 27.6% of the vote, Marine Le Pen 23.41% and Jean-Luc Mélenchon 21.95%.
From the BBC News website.

The percentages shown now are for exit polls perhaps some are frightened to say they voted for Le Pen. I always remember my Mum when I was little she voted Conservative but gave her card to Labour chap on the way out.

France is split into three zones regarding schools.
French people like to leave as soon as the school holidays start, to go back to the family home and come back at the last moment.

Thé 2nd vote falls in spring school holidays.

Besancon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, and Poitiers are in Zone A. The vote is on the last day of the holiday. Will they come home in time to vote?

Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Caen, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Orleans-Tours, Reins, Rennes, Rouen, and Strasbourg are in Zone B. The vote will fall in the middle of the two weeks.

Creteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, and Versailles are in Zone C. Holidays start on the 22nd. Will people put off their holiday for a day?

I feel sorry for French voters - having to choose between Macron and Le Pen! Never been impressed by Macron but wouldn't wish Le Pen on anyone

mokryna I was talking to my s -i-l yesterday, he being French thought that people on the first round, vote for who they would like to win even if it is a lost vote and on the second round the better of the remaining two.

Yes, this. It always seems that the first round allows 'protest votes' but then the in the second round, well that's serious.

A predictable result

Proxy voting (procuration) is allowed, but very strictly x- unlike in the UK.

Perhaps we could learn a thing or two over here?

I think Macron will win. Maybe it’s for the best?

Today

It’s looking good for Macron, happy to hear that.

Turnout about 75%.

Mélanchon has told his voters not to give a single vote to Le Pen. Ha ha.

??

Mélanchon (far left) has come quite close to Le Pen for second place so it will be interesting where his vote goes. Can't see the far left voting for the far right though. The Green candidate has told his supporters to vote for Macron and I would expect the centre right and socialists to follow.

Macron 4.8% ahead of Le Pen. Not so different from 2017 then. Disaster for Zemmour and worse for Hidalgo.