13 votes

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen lose out as French voters shun local elections: Abstention rate estimated at 68%, and exit polls suggest Le Pen’s National Rally failed to get expected support

Posted by Kuromantis
Tags: france, politics, emmanuel macron, marine le pen, elections, turnout, rassemblement national, polling.exit, government.local, author.kim willsher, source.the guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/20/slap-in-the-face-for-macron-as-french-voters-shun-local-elections

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Title
'Slap in the face' for Macron as French voters shun local elections
Authors
Kim Willsher
Published
Jun 20 2021
Word count
681 words

6 comments

  1. [5]
    drannex
    Link
    I really don't find that all surprising, Macron is expected to win, and Marie Le Pen hasn't been doing well in any debates or policy discussions. Other than that, we are still living through covid...

    I really don't find that all surprising, Macron is expected to win, and Marie Le Pen hasn't been doing well in any debates or policy discussions.

    Other than that, we are still living through covid worldwide and France has a 47% rate of a first dose, and only 27% have received their second dose. I was a bit wary of voting in my district recently because our vaccine share is nearly identical. I imagine turn out everywhere is going to be insanely low, especially for régional vote tallies.

    6 votes
    1. [2]
      Adys
      Link Parent
      Is he still expected to win? I don't live in France at the moment but i get some updates from a friend who's been sending me worrisome polling news with MLP first in first round.

      Is he still expected to win? I don't live in France at the moment but i get some updates from a friend who's been sending me worrisome polling news with MLP first in first round.

      2 votes
      1. p4t44
        Link Parent
        Wikipedia's polling summary, at this time Macron is still the undisputable favourite to win were the election to occur today

        Wikipedia's polling summary, at this time Macron is still the undisputable favourite to win were the election to occur today

        4 votes
    2. [2]
      j3n
      Link Parent
      Does France not do some form of vote by mail? In 15 years as a voter in 2 US states, I have yet to physically set foot in a polling place.

      Does France not do some form of vote by mail? In 15 years as a voter in 2 US states, I have yet to physically set foot in a polling place.

      2 votes
      1. drannex
        Link Parent
        I left this as a comment in another thread but here: France has little in the way of voting outside of in-person. This is the best historical analysis I have seen on why. Edit: And a commenter...

        I left this as a comment in another thread but here:

        France has little in the way of voting outside of in-person. This is the best historical analysis I have seen on why.

        Edit: And a commenter there further explains how every little village have polling locations:

        There are many polling stations. The smallest village will have a polling station. And yes it will be manned all days by multiple persons. The process calls for at least 1 person checking identity, 1 monitoring that a single ballot is cast (unless a voting machine is used), and 1 monitoring that the voter signs that they have voted. Which is why we vote on Sundays, and even then many monitors are 50+ (no small children to keep them busy).

        And another:

        mjt There is at least one polling station per municipality, which in rural areas tends to mean every place that had a church in the 18th century, so within walking distance for most people. In urban areas the maximum number of voters per station is ~1500, which sometimes leads to spills-onto-the-street queues because people tend to go at the same time, but in practice leaves enough quiet times for people who have time constraints. Polling takes place on Sunday so most people don't have strong time constraints

        4 votes
  2. Kuromantis
    (edited )
    Link

    Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally both failed to garner expected support in French regional elections that saw an unprecedented rate of abstention.

    The president and his government failed to mobilise supporters, with an estimated 68% of voters shunning the polling stations – an unprecedented rate of abstention. If there was any consolation for the ruling party it was that exit polls suggested Le Pen’s far-right National Rally had failed to garner its expected support.

    Early results indicated that the main winners were various centre-right parties, including the main opposition Les Républicains, who were supported by 29.3% of voters. National Rally polled 19.1% and the Socialist party 16.5%. Macron’s La République En Marche (LREM) was estimated to have won 10.9% of votes.

    Asked about her party’s result, Aurore Bergé, an MP for LREM, said it was a “democratic slap in the face for us all” because of the low turnout

    2 votes