Paris (CNN) France is voting for a new President Sunday following a divisive and unpredictable campaign that included corruption accusations against leading candidates and a terror attack in Paris while the final television debate was on air.

The last polling stations close at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) with usually reliable exit estimates due almost immediately afterwards.

The country is sharply divided -- with the latest polls suggesting the results are too close to call.

By 5 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) 69.42% of France's 47 million registered voters had cast their ballots, according to the Interior Ministry. That turnout is marginally lower than at the same point in 2012 and 2007, but considerably higher than 2002.

Security is tight at election venues across the country, still jittery just two days after the attack on a police bus in the heart of Paris , which left one officer dead.

CNN staff arriving at one candidate's election night headquarters had to pass through five checkpoints, with no liquids -- including e-cigarette cartridges -- allowed into the building.

Voters leave their booths in the 7th district in Paris on Sunday to cast their ballots.

Unpredictable poll

With 11 names on the ballot, no one candidate is expected to win an outright majority, and only four leading contenders are seen as having a realistic prospect of making it through to the second round of voting.

Benoit Hamon is the mainstream left-wing Socialist Party nominee but polls suggest he has struggled to gain traction.

The incumbent President, fellow socialist Francois Hollande, whose approval ratings have remained in the doldrums for several years, made the unusual decision not to run for a second term

The top two in Sunday's vote will face each other in a runoff election on May 7.

That means France could end up with a choice between candidates from the far-left and far-right, or a far-right stalwart facing off against a political novice.

Populism and division

The election is being closely watched as a litmus test of populist sentiment in Europe

President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday "very interesting election currently taking place in France."

Very interesting election currently taking place in France. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2017

His latest comment came two days after he said the attack in Paris "will have a big effect on presidential election!"

Populist politicians have shaken up the political landscape across Europe, but Austria, the Netherlands and Italy all resisted voting populist candidates into power in recent elections.

France has borne the brunt of terror attacks in Europe. On the night of November 13 2015, 130 people were killed in multiple bomb and shootings in Paris. In July 2016, 86 people were killed when a truck was rammed into crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice.

How to respond to the threat of Islamist extremism has further divided a country that has traditionally been split between left and right, and polls suggest there is a significant appetite for change in France.

"We have been hit by attacks and a lot has happened these past two years and now we've had enough. A change needs to happen," Frederic Akermann, a 59-year-old Parisian electrician told CNN.

Laure Granval, a 26-year-old fashion designer, said she felt France had taken a wrong turn in recent years.

"People are being manipulated and the political discourse has become so reactionary. We need to remember that we are all human and we shouldn't fight each other. I'm voting for someone who I think represents my views. We can't give into divisiveness," she said.

Security and immigration dominate

Security was already high on the candidates' political agenda before the attack in Paris on Thursday.

Several of the main candidates canceled events on what was to have been the final day of campaigning Friday, instead making televised statements to talk tough on security and vow a crackdown on ISIS, which claimed Thursday's attack.

Soldiers guard the Eiffel Tower area in Paris on Sunday as security is stepped up for the presidential vote.

President Francois Hollande, who cast his vote in Tulle in southwestern France, acknowledged that these were troubled times for France.

JUST WATCHED Paris shooting overshadows French election Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Paris shooting overshadows French election 02:41

"We are in a period, but this period is neither recent nor over, so we have to mobilize a lot of resources, in particular for the two days of vote for the presidential election and then the legislatives. And for the French I think it is the best message they can send, it's to show that democracy is stronger than anything," he said.

. Many voters -- and politicians -- blame France's current immigration policies for exacerbating France's unemployment rate and contributing to Aside from security, immigration and the economy are top issues for votersMany voters -- and politicians -- blame France's current immigration policies for exacerbating France's unemployment rate and contributing to the recent deadly terror attacks

How the candidates compare

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Le Pen: The far-right candidate told supporters in the run-up to the vote that if elected, she would put a moratorium even on legal immigration to the country, as well as closing "Islamist" mosques and expelling radicals. She has also vowed that if she wins, France will exit the European Union, as well as the border-free Schengen area.

Macron: This 39-year-old former economy minister hopes to take the centrist path to the Elysee Palace, gathering support from left and right with promises to boost the economy and improve security. His party, " This 39-year-old former economy minister hopes to take the centrist path to the Elysee Palace, gathering support from left and right with promises to boost the economy and improve security. His party, " En Marche! " which was only created in September, now has more than 200,000 members and his meetings have attracted vast crowds.

But he has has never held elected office and his lack of experience, lack of an established party and his youth could count against him.

JUST WATCHED Why these French voters support Macron Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Why these French voters support Macron 01:18

Fillon: The mainstream Republican candidate, was initially a frontrunner but his campaign stumbled thanks to a scandal over claims he paid his wife and children for work they did not do. He denies any wrongdoing. He has promised reforms to the French state and cuts to public spending, while boosting security.

Mélenchon: The far-left candidate has seen his popularity surge in recent weeks, following his impressive performances in the presidential television debates. But the 65-year-old's policies -- which include withdrawing from NATO and the International Monetary Fund, and renegotiating EU rules -- are unlikely to appeal to all voters.