French election live: Voters take to polls in high-stakes presidential election
French voters took to the polls on Sunday in a high-stakes runoff election between incumbent Emmanuel Macron and candidate Marine Le Pen.
Voter turnout was lower than the last time Macron and Le Pen faced each other in the second round just five years ago as they present two significantly different visions for France’s future.
Follow our live updates throughout election night.
France's two presidential candidates placed their votes in the north of France on Sunday. Emmanuel Macron voted in Le Touquet while Marine Le Pen voted in Hénin-Beaumont.
Each potential candidate in the election had to get 500 signatures from mayors or local politicians to support their bid for France's top job and then France's constitutional council published a final list of candidates on 7 March.
The official campaign began on 28 March, with French media having to adhere to rules about giving equal airtime to each candidate.
The two candidates with the most votes -- Macron and Le Pen -- in the first round on 10 April are now going head-to-head in the second round on 24 April.
French voters will once again take to the polls in June to vote for the next National Assembly, the country's lower house of parliament.Read more about how the election works here.
French voters are choosing their next president after backing Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen for the second round.
Whether the French electorate will choose to stay the course and back the centrist incumbent or choose the far-right leader will have a big impact not just on the country, but also on the European Union and the West in general. France remains one of the world's leading economic and military powers.
Macron and Le Pen have widely different opinions on most topics from how to run the
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