On the first day of voting for the legislative elections in France, there was a record turnout. According to a survey conducted at 5 pm, 62.3% of eligible voters had already cast their votes, marking an increase of 18% compared to the same time period in 2017. This turnout was the highest since the 1986 legislative elections, when the mid-day turnout reached 63.6%. By the end of the first round at 8 pm, the estimated turnout was 74%, also a record high since 1981, according to Elabe polling institute.
The French Interior Ministry reported that more than 3 million proxies had been requested since June 10, three times more than two years ago. Even abroad, where voter participation is typically lower than in mainland France, there was an increase in participation. Early results showed leading candidates in Guadeloupe and Polynesia. Some notable figures, including President Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen, cast their votes in various regions across the country.
Most polls indicated that Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche! party would win a slim majority in the National Assembly with around 289 seats out of a total of 577 members. Macron called early elections following his party’s victory in the European Parliament elections and has been working on forming his government ever since. The outcome of this election will have significant implications for French politics and its future direction.
Throughout