Paris: Voters in France’s overseas territories were casting their ballots on Saturday in the second round of pivotal parliamentary elections in which the far-right is looking to take control of the National Assembly in Paris.
The polling stations opened at 8am (1000 GMT) on the small French archipelago of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon off the east coast of Canada, local media reported.
Other overseas territories in the Caribbean, South Pacific and elsewhere will follow, before mainland France votes on Sunday.
The stakes are high: A big victory by Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration National Rally (RN) and its far-right allies would be sure to have major implications for both France and the European Union.
The polls have tightened in recent days, with the voter surveys suggesting Le Pen will fall short of an absolute majority in the 577-seat National Assembly.
President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist forces and their leftist rivals have scrambled to try and block Le Pen’s camp by standing down more than 200 of their own candidates to avoid splitting the vote. (DPA)