Former President Nicolas Sarkozy's right-wing party, the Union for a Popular Movement, and its centrist allies lead the electoral race, achieving 46 percent of the national vote in the first round.
Incumbent President Francois Hollande's Socialist Party and its allies won 38 percent of the vote, a roughly 5 percent drop from its share in the 2008 municipal elections. The party's local leaders blame the government's 'unpopularity' for their loss of votes, claiming voters are venting their anger.
The voting in the second round will end at 6 p.m. (French local time) in small towns, but at 8 p.m. in larger cities with the French media expected to broadcast the unofficial results after 8p.m..
