French elections 2022: Voter turnout 63.2% at 5pm, lowest in decades

The abstention rate appears to be at the highest it has been for the second round of a presidential election since 1969 - potentially swinging the balance in favour of far-right challenger Marine Le Pen.

World

1 min read

The New Arab Staff & Agencies

24 April, 2022

A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in the French overseas department of Mayotte during the second round of the French presidential election [ALI ABOL MAJD/AFP via Getty]

Turnout for the second round of the French presidential election stood a 63.2% at 5:00 pm local time in mainland France on Sunday, the interior ministry said.

Based on the ministry's figures, polling institutions estimated the abstention rate was on track to reach 28%. If confirmed, this would be the highest abstention in the second round of a presidential election since 1969.

Voter turnout is down by two percent from the previous presidential runoff in 2017, according to the figures.

Turnout was also two percentage points below what it had been at 5pm in the first round of voting on 10 April, when President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen earned enough of the votes to advance to the run-off.

Although the latest opinion polls project that Macron would win against Le Pen with a comfortable advance, analysts warned that high abstention could swing the balance unexpectedly.