Polls Close in First Round of France’s 2026 Municipal Elections

Massive Voter Turnout Across the Country

ISTANBUL — Polls closed Sunday in the first round of France’s 2026 municipal elections, with more than 48 million voters casting ballots to elect local councils and mayors across over 34,000 municipalities, according to Le Monde. Elected officials will serve six-year terms.

Key Races in Major Cities

In Paris, early estimates showed Socialist candidate Emmanuel Gregoire, who previously served as First Deputy Mayor under Anne Hidalgo, leading with 36.5% of the vote. He was followed by right-wing rival Rachida Dati at 24.9%, and radical-left candidate Sophia Chikirou at 13.7%.

In Marseille, initial projections showed incumbent leftist Mayor Benoit Payan tied with far-right National Rally lawmaker Franck Allisio, each receiving 35.4%. Right-wing independent candidate Martine Vassal trailed at 12.3%.

Election System Overview

Candidates for municipal councils run on party lists or alliances. A list that receives at least 50% of votes in the first round wins outright. If no list achieves this, lists receiving at least 10% advance to the second round, scheduled for March 22. The elected councils will select mayors at the first council meeting after the second round.

Across the country, 904,042 candidates competed on 50,478 lists during the first round of elections.

Next Steps

Voters will return to the polls next Sunday for the second round in municipalities where no candidate secured a majority. Election officials expect results to clarify the political direction in key cities and municipalities across France.
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