The battle for the presidency between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen is a re-run of the last election cycle in 2017, when it was the same two candidates going head-to-head in the second round.

So how did the results pan out last time? To put it frankly, it was a whitewash for Macron, who secured his first presidential term by a landslide margin.

After starting his own political party, he took 66% of votes - almost double that of his far-right opponent - as well as a near clean sweep of French departments, losing just two out of 101 administrative districts to Le Pen.

At the time, her poor performance in the main debate was seen as a key reason for the defeat, an area she is widely credited as improving in the 2022 edition of the contest.

Five years later, the final polls predicted he would win again, but by a far smaller margin. We'll soon find out...

Anna Holligan
Reporting from Hénin-Beaumont

Le Belle Anglaise is full of chatter and cheer. The cafe is nestled in a former mining community which recently shifted from socialist to far right. Many of the people propping up the bar are conscious Marine Le Pen is closer than she’s ever been to winning the presidency.

Supporters are optimistic the woman famed for her extreme views on Islam and immigration has sufficiently rebranded to appeal to swathes of mainstream French society now prepared to pin their hopes on anyone but Macron.

Marie is a middle school teacher who voted for Le Pen. “Macron handled the COVID crisis terribly. He’s arrogant, the president of the rich, he despised the teachers, the lower classes," she says. "Life is too difficult for us. Why not give a chance to Le Pen because it can’t be worse than Macron.”

Parents have told me they can’t afford the petrol to taxi their kids to their hobbies, and they worry if the cost of living keeps increasing faster than wage packets, they won’t be able to put dinner on the table.

Not everyone is convinced Marine Le Pen can serve up the change they crave, but quite a few believe their greatest hope is in the unknown.

But Dominique, who’s finishing off a glass of wine disagrees. “Macron had a hard time, but we can’t take a risk - it’s still the extreme right.”

We reported earlier that turnout at 17:00 French time stood at 63.2%. Polling firms are using that figure to estimate we're on course for a turnout rate of 72% of eligible voters.

Some 28% of voters abstaining would be the highest in any French presidential run-off since 1969, according to AFP news agency. That would reflect the apathy of many French towards this election, given the centrist Macron and far-right Le Pen are polarising figures.

In many other democracies, more than 70% of voters turning out would be quite a high figure, but it would be historically low for France, where voting has traditionally been seen as a national duty.

For those who'd like a sense of where the two contenders derive their support from, here's a helpful map illustrating how the first round played out across the country:

Image source, .

Emmanuel Macron saw his support come from the areas surrounding Paris and other major cities, as well as a strong showing in the north-west of France.

Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen's stronghold is primarily in the north-east, with signficant additional support in rural and farming communities around the country.

One key issue which could decide who will succeed is who can secure the nearly 22% of voters who opted for radical-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Paul Kirby
Reporting from Paris

Image source, Getty Images

The big moment in this election comes at 20:00 (19:00 UK time) when the major TV channels count down to a declaration of who has won the vote to be president of France for the next five years.

It's so big because these projections are considered ultra-reliable.

In UK elections the system's different. The BBC's pollsters carry out surveys of thousands of voters as they leave polling stations all over the country. But in France it's more of a real snapshot of what the result will be - projections using real results rather than purely exit polls.

The big networks such as TF1 and France 2 use pollsters that select 250-260 polling stations out of the 70,000 across France. As polls close in much of France an hour before the big cities, counting starts too and they can use a sample of 100 and then 200 votes from each polling station and that way we'll have a real snapshot of the election.

Back in 1981, when Socialist François Mitterrand won the presidency in a dramatic surprise victory, the TV projection gave him 51.75%. The final result was 51.76%.

"We're confident in the result we get - we get a rather exceptional level of reliability," says François Kraus of Ifop.

The voting process is beginning to draw to a close in France, with two hours now until polling stations in cities and larger towns close.

The first projections of the likely winner will be released at the same time - at 20:00 local time (19:00 BST).

Voting ends in rural areas an hour earlier at 18:00 BST.

Stick with us.

Victory for Macron would be a milestone. For all their power, French presidents struggle to secure a second term. The last person to do so was Jacques Chirac in 2002.

Chirac is one of just three of Macron's predecessors to be re-elected, but none has won a second popular election while backed by a majority in the assembly.

Charles de Gaulle's re-election in 1965 was his first direct endorsement by the French people – he had been voted in by an electoral college in 1958.

François Mitterrand - in 1988 - and Chirac were later re-elected but neither had a parliamentary majority going into the second vote. As what the French call "cohabitation" (i.e lame-duck) presidents, they were not fully running the country and did not have the dubious privilege of a record to defend.

Image source, Getty Images

Rob Young
Reporting from Nice

It may be known for year-round sunshine, but it was raining in much of the Riviera first thing this morning.

At one polling station in central Nice, an election official said turnout had been affected but the sun has come out since and turnout looks similar to five years ago.

This part of France is a Le Pen stronghold. In the first round the city of Nice put centrist Macron top, but the wider Alpes-Maritimes area voted for Marine Le Pen ahead of any other candidate.

The election in this area, which borders Italy and lies on the Mediterranean Sea, has been dominated by the rising cost of living, with many people saying they’re struggling after the vital tourism industry was hit during the pandemic. But there are also local concerns about immigration too.

Jamie Coomarasamy
Reporting from Dijon

The number one issue in today's election is France's sharply rising cost of living.

Eight years ago Aline Debast gave up her job selling electrical goods to rear goats on a small farm in the village of Barjon, north of Dijon. But now she’s afraid that she may have to give it all up.

The price of animal feed has recently doubled and the high cost of diesel means she now thinks twice before driving into town. She voted for far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first round and is attracted by Marine Le Pen on the far right. “It’s not easy to vote for the Le Pen name but she isn’t her father.”

She sees Emmanuel Macron as a president for the rich: "He doesn’t understand the lives of people like us.”

It is a commonly held sentiment in France’s vast rural heartland, where Le Pen tends to surpass her national share of the vote – and it's one of the biggest potential obstacles in the way of the current French leader’s re-election.

New turnout figures have been released as we head towards the end of the voting day, showing turnout was 63.23% at 17:00 (15:00 GMT).

Such a low turnout figure has not been registered at this stage since 1969, BFMTV reports; it is also lower than the turnout at the same time two weeks ago in the first round of the election when it was around 65%, BFM says. Five years ago it was 65.3% at this time.

Polling stations opened this morning at 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT) and are due to close in the big cities at 20:00 this evening.

Turnout four hours into voting at midday was slightly down compared to the same point in 2017 at 26.4%.

Image source, Reuters

Right up to the end of campaigning on Friday, several polling companies suggested Emmanuel Macron would defeat his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in the second round.

Macron's projected lead for the vote appears to have widened since the first round to around 8 to 9 percentage points, but the centrist candidate has warned his supporters against complacency, urging them to vote to ensure victory.

Analysts say Le Pen has moderated her stance on some issues in recent days, in an attempt to win over undecided voters.

She has promised to rule France "like a mother, with common sense".

If you'd like to read more of our guide to the election, click here.

Henri Astier
Reporting from London

Image source, Reuters

The French often view themselves as pioneers in people power, but when it comes to voting technology they don't claim to be revolutionary.

You'll find no electronic machines in a polling station - or even a pencil. If your name is on the electoral roll, you're invited to pick up pieces of paper bearing the names of various candidates and enter a booth.

After drawing a curtain behind you for privacy, you put the piece of paper with your chosen candidate's name into an envelope and discard the others.

You then come out and drop the envelope into a ballot box. Then someone calls out your name, followed by the familiar vocal testament of French democratic duty accomplished: "A voté."

As voters head to the polls, let's take a look at what the two fierce rivals have said about some of the main topics on voters' minds in the build up to election day:

Cost of living

This is possibly the most pressing issue in this election, and both incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far-right challenger Marine Le Pen have focused on the rising cost of food, fuel and other goods.

Le Pen has made it the focus of her campaign, proposing to scrap income tax for all under-30s, reduce VAT on fuel from 20% to 5.5% and abolish it on 100 other essentials.

For Macron's part, he says the government has spent billions on capping energy bills, which is "twice as effective as dropping VAT" and proposes that employers should be allowed to give staff an untaxed bonus of up to €6,000.

Pensions

Macron wants to pay for much of his programme by raising the pension age from 62 to 65, a policy that has not played well with voters - especially on the left - a voter base he has looked to court since the first round.

Le Pen calls her rival's plan an "absolutely unbearable injustice" and wants to keep the pension age at 62, although anyone who began working at 20 could retire at 60.

Immigration

Le Pen wants a referendum on immigration to put an end to what she calls "anarchic and massive immigration". She has proposed strict rules for entering France and becoming French, as well as a highly controversial plan for French nationals to be given housing and social services ahead of foreigners.

In response, Macron accuses her of an "authoritarian" drift and failing to respect the constitution, condemning Le Pen's "nationalist agenda, which is not patriotism".

For more analysis of the top issues for French voters, as well as what the two rivals have to say about them, click here.

Chris Bockman
Reporting from Toulouse

Toulouse in the south-west is France’s fourth biggest city and just like in 2017 voted heavily for Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the first round.

The radical left candidate obtained 37% of the vote here, and in some polling stations, well above 50%. So what his voters choose to do today will be critical in the final outcome this evening.

I went to two polling stations this morning - one in the grand town hall overlooking Place du Capitole and another in a more mixed residential community.

The first observation is that turnout this morning has been brisk despite the atrocious weather, which suggests Mélenchon voters are not staying away in huge numbers.

All the voters who back him that I spoke to told me they had voted for Emmanuel Macron this time and that was also the case among their friends and family.

Elodie, 36, who works as a project manager in higher education, told me she made her decision "without joy, I voted Emmanuel Macron. But it’s not a real choice, it’s an obligation".

Hubert, a 60-year-old GP, said:

In recent years, the Marine Le Pen's National Rally has toned down its nationalist rhetoric and presented a more moderate image. This seems to have worked if we look at the number of votes for the party (and its predecessor) cast in the first round of recent presidential elections.

Le Pen and before her her father traditionally drew the bulk of their support from eastern and southern France.

Hélène Daouphars
Reporting from Paris

Image source, Getty Images

Over the last week, while working with different BBC teams in France, I have been talking to voters in places including Paris, Reims, Trappes and la Ferté-Sous-Jouarre.

One thing that struck me was the apathy of many French voters.

When you approach them to ask their views, the first word that comes out of their mouth is very often "bof" - a verbal shrug - usually paired with the classic rise of both hands and roll of eyes.

Soon followed by "It's all the same anyway!" or "Macron or Marine it won't make much difference for me."

"I didn't listen to any of the debates" and "I am fed up with politics" were also heard.

I sensed a general feeling of confusion, disappointment and tiredness among French voters.

Will this translate into more abstention than usual? We still have a few hours remaining to find out...

Anna Holligan
Reporting from Hénin-Beaumont

In this north-eastern town, many voters are investing their faith in Marine Le Pen, who has been MP here since 2017.

In this former mining community people are struggling to fill up their cars and feed their children. France's cost of living crisis has been acutely felt.

"Food and fuel is too expensive. Everything is increasing apart from wages. Marine Le Pen will make life easier," say Yannick and Laura, who have four children.

A group of young people who were employed as mechanics told the BBC they could no longer find work. They see immigrants getting benefits that give them more cash than their own parents, who are working hard but still can’t make ends meet.

Other voters are concerned by Le Pen's views on immigration, but with promises of an increased minimum wage, reduction in the retirement age, a permanent drop in VAT on energy and 100 other essential items and a range of financial incentives, some people see her as more likely than Emmanuel Macron to bring the change they so desperately crave.

• Her family has been synonymous with the far right in France for decades
• Before politics, she trained as a lawyer and defended illegal immigrants facing deportation
• A political player in France for years, her anti-immigration message has remained consistent, but she has dropped her plan to leave the EU
• In recent years, she has tried to soften her party's image and make its message more mainstream
• This is her third - and she has said possibly last, if she loses - bid for the presidency

Read our full profile of Marine Le Pen here.

• He became the youngest president in French history in 2017 at the age of 39
• A former investment banker and economy minister, he'd never been elected an MP
• Married to his former drama teacher, Brigitte, who is 24 years older than him
• He launched a centrist political movement called La République En Marche! to challenge the traditional parties
• He pushed through controversial economic reforms but faced violent protests over a proposed fuel tax

Read our full profile of Emmanuel Macron here.

Image source, Getty Images

Marine Le Pen was first of the two candidates to vote, late on Sunday morning, and she did so in her National Rally party's stronghold in Hénin-Beaumont in northern France.

For both candidates it's a big moment for the cameras - and France's far-right leader took advantage of talking to a young mum called Coraline on arrival. She sheltered a baby boy from the sun and told him: "I will protect you."

Image source, EPA

Around lunchtime, it was Emmanuel Macron's turn to vote in the north-coast resort of Le Touquet, where his wife Brigitte has a house. The couple chatted to officials for some time before casting their ballots.