Macron versus Le Pen: Live-Blogging the French Presidential Election
Live analysis, commentary and the results.
I’m live-blogging about the second and final voting round in the French presidential election tonight. Click here to read the blog on atlanticsentinel.com.
Polls opened at 8 this morning and will close at 8 tonight, when broadcasters should be able to tell us who won.
Since polling stations in rural France close at 7, organizations like Ipsos can make their projections at 8 based on actual votes cast as opposed to exit polls. Since 1974, when Valéry Giscard d’Estaing defeated François Mitterrand by a margin of just 1.6 percent, television stations have been able to report an (accurate) projection at the top of the hour. So unless it’s a tight race, you (and I) can expect to go to bed early tonight. France 24 has more on the methodology.
The Atlantic Sentinel has endorsed Macron. In 2017, he promised to make France competitive and confident again — and as far as we’re concerned he has.
Read my election guide to learn more about the French two-round voting system, how the president relates to parliament (which will be elected in June) and where the candidates stand on major issues, such as the cost of living, energy policy and migration. For the Atlantic Sentinel’s entire election coverage, click here.