Today people vote in France. They choose new city mayors. In about 35,000 towns and villages the polling stations open. Over 48 million citizens can cast their vote. The election is a test for the mood in the country. Next year the presidential election takes place.
The vote is very exciting in big cities. In Paris people look for a successor for Anne Hidalgo. In Marseille there is also a hard fight for power. A candidate from the right party Rassemblement National runs against the left city mayor.
The voter turnout is about 19 percent at noon. In many places there is a second round on March 22. This happens if no candidate gets more than half of the votes. Experts watch the result of the right parties closely. The Greens and the Socialists also want to keep their power in the cities. Many voters worry about safety and high prices.
