Paris:
French voters overcame fears of a low turnout in their Presidential election on Sunday, beating expectations with a greater than expected participation rate of 28.29 per cent at midday.
While that figure was down from 31.21 per cent at the same stage in the 2007 race, Sunday's interim turnout was much higher than the 21.41 per cent recorded in 2002 and the second highest in any Presidential race since 1981.
In Paris, turnout was even higher than in 2007, at 21.68 per cent compared with 20 per cent, and Agence France Presse (AFP) reporters saw long queues at several polling stations.
In 2007, when right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy beat Socialist Segolene Royal in a passionately fought race, final turnout was especially high at nearly 74 per cent.
Polling opened at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) in mainland France, and by midday there were queues at many voting centres, despite opinion pollsters warning that the election would be marred by a higher abstention rate than normal.
Voting was to end between 6.00 pm and 8.00 pm.
The 2012 campaigns of incumbent Sarkozy and his Socialist challenger Francois Hollande have not drawn crowds.
Sunday's first round will whittle the field down from 10 candidates to two -- in all likelihood Hollande and Sarkozy and the frontrunners will face each other in a second-round run-off on May 6.
While that figure was down from 31.21 per cent at the same stage in the 2007 race, Sunday's interim turnout was much higher than the 21.41 per cent recorded in 2002 and the second highest in any Presidential race since 1981.
In Paris, turnout was even higher than in 2007, at 21.68 per cent compared with 20 per cent, and Agence France Presse (AFP) reporters saw long queues at several polling stations.
In 2007, when right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy beat Socialist Segolene Royal in a passionately fought race, final turnout was especially high at nearly 74 per cent.
Polling opened at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) in mainland France, and by midday there were queues at many voting centres, despite opinion pollsters warning that the election would be marred by a higher abstention rate than normal.
Voting was to end between 6.00 pm and 8.00 pm.
The 2012 campaigns of incumbent Sarkozy and his Socialist challenger Francois Hollande have not drawn crowds.
Sunday's first round will whittle the field down from 10 candidates to two -- in all likelihood Hollande and Sarkozy and the frontrunners will face each other in a second-round run-off on May 6.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
