French Fresh News: Departmental 2015: participation of 15.63% at midday

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Departmental 2015: participation of 15.63% at midday – Europe1

Europe 1 Louis Hausalter with Noémie Schulz and Chloe Pilorget-Rezzouk Published 08:00, 29 March 2015 , Modified at 24:59, 29 March 2015

Some 42 million French people to the polls Sunday, March 29, for the second round of departmental elections. At midday Sunday, the turnout for the second round of the departmental elections amounted to 15.63% in France, according to the Interior Ministry. Mobilization down more than two points compared to the first round last week, which was 18.02%. However, it is two points higher than in 2011, when the rate of voters, however, historically low, amounted to 13.68%.

Departmental 2015: a stake of 15.63% in mid-day

“podium” good and bad students The quartet. head is the same as for the first round. It was in Corsica that voters were most moved with 26.22% turnout, given the Aude, the Landes and the Dordogne. Bottom of the table as often départements: 9.8% in the Hauts-de-Seine, in Essonne 9%, 8% in the Yvelines and just over 6% in Seine-Saint-Denis or three points less than last week.

For those elections, Paris, the city of Lyon, French Guiana and Martinique do not vote, and 145 townships in which pairs of candidates were elected in the first round. Initial estimates are expected to 20 hours, to be followed live on Europe 1 and Europe1.fr.

The right wants to confirm, left in danger. The UMP and its allies came top in the first round with 27.46% of votes. The National Front was second with 25.24% of the votes. The Socialist Party and its allies have failed at the third place with 21.47% of votes. These figures have, however, been challenged, as in the case of the UMP and the PS, they are aggregating the results of each party and its allies. It is really impossible to know the exact score of each party, because of past alliances by many pairs of candidates.

Anyway, this second round will be difficult for the left which could give dozens of departments on the right, many symbolic strongholds such as the North, Corrèze or Essonne. For its part, the National Front hopes to sign a first by taking at least one department. Vaucluse and Aisne are in frontist collimator. Note that the configurations in the second round are distributed between 1614 and 278 triangular duels.

More or less participation? One of the great unknowns of the election remains participation. Last Sunday, the French have surprised pollsters, by mobilizing to a greater extent than predicted investigations. A registered voter in two (49.83% exactly) nonetheless shunned the polls.

That’s the point, this election? Formerly known as cantonal elections, county are for the first time organized throughout France under that name, with a completely new voting system – a man and a woman elected by sector – and in redrawn districts. Sunday night, we know the 4108 departmental councilors elected for a term of six years. They get to work next week in electing presidents departments. A kind of “third round” that promises crucial in some cases.