Macron favorite as France votes for new president, turnout low

French voters were choosing on Sunday between a young, pro-European Union centrist and a eurosceptic, anti-immigration far-rightist for their next president, with official figures and estimates indicating a low turnout.

Opinion polls predicted that the 39-year-old former economy minister Emmanuel Macron would win the five-year presidency, seeing off the National Front's Marine Le Pen after an election campaign full of scandal and upsets.

Voting was not due to end until 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), but Belgian media published what they said were surveys taken on Sunday by four unnamed pollsters among people who had voted or intended to vote.

The Belgian public broadcaster RTBF said the surveys put Macron's share of the vote at between 62 and 67 percent.

The information could not be verified by Reuters. Pollsters are not allowed to publish election-day surveys in France before voting closes.

But the reported surveys were broadly in line with the last opinion polls on Friday, and pre-election surveys proved accurate for the tight first round between 11 candidates last month.

By midday, both candidates had voted, he in Le Touquet on the north coast, and she in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont.

A victory for Macron, who wants to deregulate the economy and deepen EU integration, would contrast with recent nativist, anti-globalization voting outcomes such as those that will see Britain quit the EU and made Donald Trump U.S. president.

Reuters