Voters in France went to the polls today to choose among 12 presidents. Three of the top six candidates in the polls are right-wing and two are left-wing.
Voting process started at 8 am country time.
In big cities such as Paris and Lyon, the ballot boxes will be open until 8 pm.
49 million French citizens have the right to vote.
However, the news from the constituencies show that there was less turnout as of noon compared to the election 5 years ago.
The Ipsos poll, conducted the day before the election, revealed that 37 percent of the voters were still undecided.
Parisian voter Ourdia says she still doesn’t know who to vote for on election day.
Traditionally, one voted for either the left-wing candidate or the right-wing candidate. But a Parisian financier says he doesn’t know whether to vote for the far-right Le Pen or the left-wing Melenchon.
The names of current president Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen stand out in the election.
BBC Europe correspondent Nick Beake reports that in his news package from Paris, many have asked the question “Is France about to have a Trump moment, a Brexit moment?”
Beake says Le Pen’s possible presidency means “a political earthquake” for many.
What if the election goes to the second round?
Election results will begin to become clear with the announcement of the polling exit polls around 9:00 pm Turkey time.
If, as expected, no candidate exceeds 50 percent in the first round, the second round will be held on April 24.
Emmanuel Macron has been ahead in the polls for more than six months.
However, while Macron’s popularity has waned in recent weeks, his rival Marine Le Pen’s has soared and closed the gap.
Opinion polls show for the first time a Le Pen victory is within the margin of error if the election reaches the runoff.
According to the polls, the biggest issues that will affect the election outside Ukraine are the economy, immigration and security.
It is foreseen that the energy prices and the cost of the shopping cart will be the main determinants on the votes of the voters.