People wave French flags at the Louvre museum where Emmanuel Macron is planning to celebrate, Sunday, May 7, 2017 in Paris.Thousands of supporters of French centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron have let out a big cheer when national television called the presidential election in his favor based on poll projections. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

People wave French flags at the Louvre museum where Emmanuel Macron is planning to celebrate, Sunday, May 7, 2017 in Paris.Thousands of supporters of French centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron have let out a big cheer when national television called the presidential election in his favor based on poll projections. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

PARIS (AP) — The latest on France’s presidential runoff Sunday between centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen (all times local):

1:20 a.m.

The Paris 2024 Olympic bid committee is welcoming the election of pro-business Emmanuel Macron as France’s new president, after concerns that a win for his populist rival Marine Le Pen could have damaged the bid.

Paris and Los Angeles are the only cities left competing for the 2024 Olympics, and a decision will be made in September.

Le Pen’s closed-borders, “France-first” message runs counter to the open-minded Olympic message.

Paris bid committee co-chairmen Tony Estanguet and Bernard Lapasset say in a Sunday statement that Macron “understands the power of sport and how the Games can be a force for real change and help build inspiration and inclusion.”

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12:40 a.m.

Australia’s prime minister has congratulated French president-elect Emmanuel Macron on what he described as an “historic election win.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tweeted on Sunday: “We will build even stronger ties between our two great nations.”

Macron defeated far-right leader Marine Le Pen by a big margin in Sunday’s runoff.

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12:15 a.m.

Scattered groups of masked protesters have clashed with police firing tear gas in eastern Paris after the election of pro-business independent Emmanuel Macron as France’s new president.

About 100 protesters are dodging police in mobile protests through neighborhoods near the Pere Lachaise cemetery. Police are checking documents and detaining some protesters.

During the presidential campaign, many groups held protests against Macron’s far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

Some anarchist and far-left groups also held occasionally violent protests against both candidates, seeing Macron as too business-friendly and Le Pen as tainted by her party’s racist past.

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11:40 p.m.

French president-elect Emmanuel Macron’s inauguration will be held by the end of the coming week at the Elysee palace. But the exact date hasn’t yet been set.

The ceremony must be scheduled before the formal end of the term of Socialist President Francois Hollande on May 14.

Macron will attend his first official event as president-elect on Monday by Hollande’s side at the commemoration of World War II Victory Day.

The Constitutional Council will declare the definitive results of the vote by Thursday.

Once president, Macron will have to quickly designate a prime minister and form a government. The whole process usually takes no more than a few days.

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11:35 p.m.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Front party will be changing its name.

Le Pen said in her presidential concession speech Sunday night that she would make “deep” changes to her party, and interim party president Steeve Briois told The Associated Press that would include a new name.

He said “It’s opening the doors of the movement to other personalities then give it a new name to restart on a new basis.”

He called the election result a “semi-victory” because the party won more votes than ever before.

There has long been internal talk of changing the name of the party but that felt too radical for some National Front militants.

A name change would help Le Pen further distance herself from the party’s anti-Semitic past and her hard-line father, party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen.

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11:05 p.m.

Greece’s prime minister has tweeted his satisfaction over French centrist Emmanuel Macron’s victory in France’s presidential election.

Alexis Tsipras says that Macron’s “victory is a fresh breath for France and the whole of Europe. I am certain we will work closely together for Europe to change course, inspire its people again so as to never again experience the nightmare of the extreme right.”

Macron beat far-right leader Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s runoff. Tsipras had called Macron to congratulate him after the first-round results on April 23.

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10:50 p.m.

French president-elect Emmanuel Macron says that France is facing an “immense task” to rebuild European unity, fix the economy and ensure security against extremist threats.

Speaking to thousands of supporters from the Louvre Museum’s courtyard, Macron said Sunday night that Europe and the world are “watching us” and “waiting for us to defend the spirit of the Enlightenment, threatened in so many places.”

Macron, who has never held public office and just founded his political movement a year ago, said “everyone said it was impossible. But they didn’t know France!”

Macron strongly beat far-right leader Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s runoff election, seen as a test for Europe’s direction and global populism.

He also promised to work to unify France after a bruising presidential campaign and serve the country “with love.”

His wife Brigitte then came up on stage with him, and she kissed his hand and waved to the crowd.

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10:40 p.m.

The leaders of Czech Republic and Slovakia have welcomed French centrist Emmanuel Macron’s victory in the presidential election.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka says that Macron’s win is a “positive signal for France, the entire European Union and the Czech Republic.” Sobotka says that the French people “made it clear they reject nationalism, populism, and the isolation of their country. Most voters decided that they want a president who will represent a modern and open France.”

Slovak President Andrej Kiska tweeted: “Warm congratulations to Emmanuel Macron and to the people of France.” Kiska says it’s a “victory for all who believe in Europe.”

Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak says he was “delighted to learn of Emmanuel Macron’s victory.”

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10:30 p.m.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who won an election in March against opponents including right-wing populist Geert Wilders, has congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his victory in France’s presidential election.

Rutte said in a post on his official Facebook page that in Macron, French voters “made a clear progressive and pro-European choice.” He said that “a choice for cooperation within Europe in areas where that is necessary, instead of an inward-looking vision.”

In a tweet Sunday night, Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Bert Koenders said that “France chooses for reform, for Europe and against xenophobia. We look forward to working together with the new French government.”

Macron, a centrist, is a strong supporter of France’s continued membership in the EU. He beat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s runoff.

Rutte is still negotiating with the leaders of three other parties to form a new ruling coalition after the March election delivered a fractured Dutch political landscape.

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10:25 p.m.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says France, with Emmanuel Macron as its new president, will help strengthen the European Union at a key moment for the 28-nation bloc.

In a telegram sent Sunday to congratulate the new president-elect of France, Rajoy praised Macron for his proposed reforms and his “firm defense of the European integration process.”

Those principles and his solid backing from French voters, Rajoy said, mean “France — a friend, neighbor and strategic partner of Spain — will actively contribute to the advancement and reinforcement of the European Union in a key moment of its history.”

Macron, 39, soundly beat far-right rival Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s presidential runoff.

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10:15 p.m.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman says she has called Emmanuel Macron to congratulate him on his victory in the French presidential election.

Spokesman Steffen Seibert said Merkel “praised his stance for a united and open European Union during the campaign” and that “the decision of the French voters is a clear statement of support for Europe.”

Seibert’s statement said Merkel “looked forward to working together with the new president on the basis of trust in the spirit of the traditional German-French friendship.”

Macron, 39, trounced far-right rival Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s presidential runoff, winning a projected 65 percent of the vote.

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10:10 p.m.

Stock markets and the shared euro currency are expected to rise on news that centrist Emmanuel Macron has won the French presidential election.

Jacob Kirkegaard, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, says “there will be a relief rally in Europe ... this is certainly positive for the European economy.”

The euro will start trading late Sunday European time, alongside Asian markets. European stock markets will open Monday morning.

Kirkegaard said shares in financial firms in particular are likely to gain as they stood to suffer the most from a possible French exit from the European Union, as proposed by Macron’s defeated far-right rival, Marine Le Pen.

Paul Christopher, head global market strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said “Europe dodges a bullet here.”

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10 p.m.

Germany’s foreign minister is urging support for Emmanuel Macron and his efforts to create jobs and reform France’s economy.

Sigmar Gabriel said that Macron “must succeed, if he fails, in five years Mrs. Le Pen will be president and the European project will go to the dogs.”

Macron beat far-right leader Marine Le Pen by a big margin.

Gabriel said it was time to give up “budget orthodoxy” based on spending restraint and that if France embarks on reforms it “should not be forced into austerity.”

As a member of the euro currency France is subject to European Union limits on debt and deficits.

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9:55 p.m.

Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has expressed his relief at the defeat of far-right Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election.

Corbyn tweeted Sunday that he was “delighted that the French people have decisively rejected Le Pen’s politics of hate.” French centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron defeated Le Pen by a big margin.

The former leader of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, meanwhile, has offered his condolences to Le Pen, saying she could win France’s next election in 2022.

Farage, who led the effort to take Britain out of the European Union, tweeted that Macron “offers 5 more years of failure, power to the EU and open borders.”

Although he no longer heads UKIP, Farage remains a figurehead for nationalist parties in Europe.

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9:45 p.m.

Belgium’s prime minister has welcomed the election of centrist Emmanuel Macron as French president and invited him to join in the effort to reinvigorate the European Union.

Charles Michel has been a staunch backer of Macron in the elections and said in a twitter message “Bravo” when he learned of the clear-cut victory over extreme-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

Michel has called on Macron to “let us work together to give Europe new momentum.”

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9:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump has tweeted his congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on what Trump is calling Macron’s “big win” in France’s presidential election.

Trump also says he looks forward to working with France’s new leader. He didn’t immediately extend an invitation for Macron to visit the White House.

Trump tweeted: “Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him.”

Macron defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen to win Sunday’s election.

A White House statement cited Macron and the French people for “their successful presidential election” and said the United States looks forward to “continuing our close relationship with the French government.”

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9:25 p.m.

Several British politicians have congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his victory in the French presidential election.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted “Vive La France (Long live France). Congratulations to new president, Emmanuel Macron, on his decisive victory over the hard right.” Sturgeon leads the Scottish National Party, which supports independence for Scotland and its continued membership in the European Union.

Macron, a centrist, has long backed France’s continued membership in the EU. He beat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s runoff.

Tim Farron, leader of Britain’s Liberal Democrats, says that “Emmanuel Macron has kept the wolves from our door, but we must never be complacent in the fight against racism, fascism and the far right.”

Farron added that “this is not just a victory for France, but a victory for Britain and the liberal values we hold dear.”

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9:15 p.m.

France’s president-elect Emmanuel Macron acknowledged divisions in society he says drove people to “vote to the extreme” and says he will work for all of France.

Macron, whose far-right opponent Marine Le Pen had called for leaving the European Union and returning France to the franc currency, says that he will defend both France and Europe as president.

The 39-year-old former banker, who served as economy minister under the unpopular President Francois Hollande, briefly acknowledged his onetime mentor.

But not once cracking a smile in the short speech, Macron says that he needed to look forward for the sake all of France.

It was less a victory speech than one of acknowledgement of the task ahead for Macron, who was projected to win 65 percent of votes cast for a candidate, compared with 35 percent for Le Pen.

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9:05 p.m.

The head of the European Union’s executive has congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his election as French president and says that his pro-European message will continue to be that of founding nation France.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says that it made him “happy that the ideas that you defended of a strong and progressive Europe that protects all its citizens will be those that France will cherish under your presidency.”

Juncker had already shown his clear support for Macron after the first round in the elections and insisted that a win Marine Le Pen would have been bad for the EU and France alike.

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8:50 p.m.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff has congratulated Emmanuel Macron, tweeting in French “vive la France, Vive L’Europe!” or “Long live France, long live Europe!”

Peter Altmaier says the result is “a strong signal for our common values.”

Merkel’s chief spokesman, Steffen Seibert, also has tweeted in French “felicitations,” or congratulations. He says it’s “a victory for a strong and united Europe.”

Before the results came in, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, a Social Democrat, urged support for Macron in his efforts to create jobs and undermine support for the National Front party’s nationalist approach under far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

Gabriel said that a Macron victory means that “we have only won time. We must do everything to see that Macron succeeds.”

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8:40 p.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has offered her warm wishes to France’s new president-elect, saying she welcomes a chance to work with Emmanuel Macron.

May’s Downing Street office says that she “warmly congratulates President-elect Macron on his election success.”

In comments released immediately after exit polls showed Macron’s victory, May said that France is one of Britain’s closest allies and “we look forward to working with the new president on a wide range of shared priorities.”

France will be a key player in upcoming talks on Britain’s departure from the European Union.

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8:35 p.m.

Thousands of supporters of French centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron have let out a big cheer when national television called the presidential election in his favor based on poll projections.

Macron’s backers are singing “we have won, we have won” and are waving French flags in front of the stage in the courtyard outside the Louvre museum where he is planning to celebrate his victory.

Many expressed their relief that far-right candidate Marine Le Pen suffered a clear defeat.

Sandra Ledoux, a 32-year-old Macron supporter, says that she feels “very happy because Macron is young, innovative and he has a project to make Europe better instead of destroying it like Le Pen wanted.”

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8:30 p.m.

French President Francois Hollande says that he has called centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron to congratulate him on his election victory.

Hollande says it shows that the overwhelming majority of voters rallied behind the European Union and openness to the world.

It was Hollande who first brought Macron into the world of politics, naming the untested ex-banker as economy minister.

But Macron left the position to found his own political movement last year, and has distanced himself from his former mentor.

With nearly 20 percent of the votes counted, Macron had 60 percent of the vote to 40 percent for far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, according to the Interior Ministry. The early results are primarily from provincial towns that lean more conservative than the cities, whose votes are counted later.

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8:15 p.m.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen says she has called centrist Emmanuel Macron to congratulate him and says the vote confirms her National Front party and its allies as the leader of France’s opposition.

Minutes after the first results were released, Le Pen said she would call for a new political force as legislative elections loom in June.

Le Pen received 35 percent of the votes cast for a candidate, according to polling agency projections, compared with 65 percent for Macron.

She hinted that her party may rename itself from the National Front, which has been dogged by allegations of racism and anti-Semitism since it was founded by her father.

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8:10 p.m.

France’s prime minister says that centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron has won the French presidential election.

Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement minutes after the last polls closed that the vote “testifies to the lucidity of the voters who rejected the deadly project of the extreme right.” He said the vote shows an embrace of the European Union.

French polling agencies have projected that Macron has defeated Marine Le Pen 65 percent to 35 percent, with a record number of blank and spoiled ballots.

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8 p.m.

Polling agencies have projected that centrist Emmanuel Macron will be France’s next president, putting a 39-year-old political novice at the helm of one of the world’s biggest economies and slowing a global populist wave.

The agencies projected that Macron defeated far-right leader Marine Le Pen 65 percent to 35 percent on Sunday.

If confirmed, Le Pen’s showing would nonetheless be stronger than her National Front party has seen in its 45-year history.

The projections are based on vote counts in selected constituencies, then extrapolated nationwide.

Macron would be the youngest French president ever.

But Le Pen’s projected showing, unusually low turnout and the record number of blank ballots are an indication of the headwinds facing Macron, a former economy minister who started his own political movement only a year ago.

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6:40 p.m.

Supporters of French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron are entering the courtyard outside the Louvre museum in Paris where he plans to celebrate election night.

Late Sunday afternoon, French police emptied the place of tourists. Police dogs searched the site. Hundreds of Macron supporters were waiting quietly outside barriers to pass security checks, while Macron’s volunteer staffers were handing them French tricolor flags.

Earlier in the day, the courtyard was briefly evacuated after a suspicious bag was discovered. The famous museum itself was not evacuated or closed.

Macron, a centrist, is running against far-right Marine Le Pen in the presidential runoff. If elected as France’s next president, he plans to speak on the stage with the museum’s large glass pyramid in the background.

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6 p.m.

The Paris prosecutors’ office says it has launched an investigation following the hacking attack targeting presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron.

France’s election campaign commission said Saturday that “a significant amount of data” — and some fake information — was leaked on social networks following the hacking attack on Macron.

The leaked documents appeared largely mundane, and the perpetrators remain unknown. The commission urged French media and citizens not to relay the documents.

Earlier this week, Paris prosecutors launched a separate investigation into whether fake news was being used to influence voting in Sunday’s presidential runoff.

Macron’s campaign filed suit against an unknown source “X″ after his far-right rival Marine Le Pen suggested on television that the former banker could have an offshore account. Macron denies having any such account.

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5:10 p.m.

Voter turnout in France’s presidential runoff is above 65 percent in late afternoon, a sharp drop of more than 6 percent compared to the last presidential vote.

The Interior Ministry announced Sunday the turnout had reached 65.3 percent, compared to 71.96 percent in the second round of presidential voting in 2012.

Going into Sunday’s runoff, centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron had a large polling lead over far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

The last polling stations in France close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) and partial results are expected shortly afterward.

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3:50 p.m.

A brief election-day security scare at the Louvre Museum in Paris has barely ruffled tourists and locals.

Russian tourist Ksenia Simonova told The Associated Press “there is no more of a security problem in Paris than elsewhere. I come from Moscow and the risk is the same. There are a lot of police officers here. I am not afraid.”

Frenchman Eric Kadio came to the park near the Louvre in hopes of seeing presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, who’s expected to speak to supporters from the Louvre courtyard after election results come in later Sunday.

Kadio says “France has an efficient security operation. I am not afraid. Bomb scares are frequent and each time they get things under control.”

Police evacuated the Louvre courtyard Sunday because of a suspicious bag but later reopened it.

Macron, a centrist, is facing far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s presidential runoff.

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3:30 p.m.

If he defeats Marine Le Pen in France’s runoff election, 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron will become the country’s youngest president of all time, erasing Louis Napoleon Bonaparte’s record.

After the 1848 French Revolution and the proclamation of France’s Second Republic, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte — Napoleon’s nephew — won the first presidential election at the age of 40. He then staged a coup and ruled as emperor under the name Napoleon III.

Macron has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of French politics. The former banker served as the country’s economy minister under outgoing President Francois Hollande, but has never held elected office. He launched an independent political movement, called En Marche, only a year ago.

However, Macron would not beat all records for precociousness, if he succeeds Hollande as president. France’s King Louis XIV was just 4 years old when he started his rule back in 1643.

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2:35 p.m.

The courtyard outside the Louvre museum in Paris has reopened after a brief security scare prompted an evacuation of the site where French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron plans to celebrate election night.

Explosives experts have left the site after a suspicious bag prompted the evacuation on Sunday of a few hundred people, primarily journalists preparing for Macron event. The museum itself was not evacuated or closed, and visitors continued entering and leaving.

The Louvre already was being heavily guarded after an extremist attacker targeted soldiers near the museum during the presidential campaign. Paris police said the evacuation was a “precautionary measure.”

Some 50,000 security forces are guarding voting stations and other sites around France for Sunday’s runoff between Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

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1:50 p.m.

Emmanuel Macron’s campaign press office says it was a suspicious bag that prompted the evacuation of the courtyard outside the Louvre museum where the centrist French presidential candidate has planned to celebrate election night.

Macron’s team said a press room had been set up at the downtown Paris location and 300 journalists who were on site have been evacuated as a precaution.

The Louvre already was being heavily guarded after an extremist attacker targeted soldiers near the museum during the presidential campaign.

The Paris police prefecture Tweeted a reassuring message: ”#Louvre These are simple verification measures carried out as precautionary measure.”

The runoff election in which Macron is competing against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is being conducted under the watch of 50,000 security forces guarding against extremist attacks.

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1:20 p.m.

Emmanuel Macron’s campaign press office says the courtyard outside the Louvre museum where the centrist French presidential candidate has planned to celebrate election night has been evacuated because of a security alert.

Campaign spokeswoman Pauline Calmes told The Associated Press that the Esplanade du Louvre, in downtown Paris, was evacuated on Sunday as a precaution. She did not specify the nature of the threat, but says police ordered the evacuation.

Macron picked the dignified internal courtyard of the renowned palace-turned-museum as the location for his celebration party.

The Louvre already was being heavily guarded after an extremist attacker targeted soldiers near the museum during the presidential campaign.

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12:55 p.m.

Lines of French citizens stretched down the block at a school in central London as dozens cast their ballots in the final round of the country’s presidential election.

Thousands of French citizens who live and work in the United Kingdom are voting in 11 cities in Britain, making their choice between centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen.

London has been described as France’s “sixth-biggest city,” and French voters in the British capital had two polling stations to choose from. One was the private Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle school.

Sylvie Bermann, the French ambassador to the U.K., was among the voters casting their ballots on Sunday morning.

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12:10 p.m.

France’s Interior Ministry says the voter turnout in the country’s presidential runoff election so far is running slightly lower than it was in 2012.

The ministry said as of midday Sunday that 28.23 percent of eligible voters had cast ballots, compared with the 30.66 percent half-day tally during the last presidential runoff five years ago.

Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron was considered the front-runner going into the runoff.

But commentators think a low voter turnout would benefit far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, whose supporters are seen as more committed and therefore more likely to show up to vote.

The last polling stations close at 8 p.m. (1800GMT.)

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11:20 a.m.

Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has cast her ballot in Henin-Beaumont, a small northern town controlled by her National Front party.

Le Pen arrived at the polling station with Henin-Beaumont Mayor Steeve Briois, who took over as the National Front’s leader during the presidential election campaign.

She was able to vote without any incident after feminist activists were briefly detained a couple of hours earlier Sunday for hanging a big anti-Le Pen banner from a church.

Polls suggest centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron is favored to beat Le Pen in Sunday’s runoff election.

While Le Pen has worked hard to rid her nationalistic party of its xenophobic image, she has campaigned on an anti-immigration, anti-EU platform.

The election is being watched as a bellwether for populism’s global appeal.

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11 a.m.

Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron, the front-runner in France’s presidential election, has voted in the coastal town of Le Tourquet in northern France alongside his wife, Brigitte Macron.

The former Socialist economy minister and one-time banker was all smiles and petted a black dog as he stepped out of his vacation home in the seaside resort.

For security reasons, Macron was driven to his nearby polling station at Le Touquet City Hall and shook hands with a large crowd of supporters before he and his wife entered the building.

Macron had a large polling lead over far-right leader Marine Le Pen going into Sunday’s presidential runoff election.

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10:25 a.m.

Outgoing French president Francois Hollande has cast his vote in the runoff election to replace him.

Hollande voted Sunday morning in his political fiefdom of Tulle in southwestern France.

Hollande, the most unpopular French leader in the country’s modern history, decided not to stand for re-election last year.

The Socialist president has called on voters to reject far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and to back centrist Emmanuel Macron, his former protégé.

The Socialist candidate, Benoit Hamon, was eliminated in the election’s first round after receiving some 6 percent of the vote.

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10:20 a.m.

Police and soldiers are working to secure symbolic Paris venues where France’s next president will celebrate victory after Sunday’s runoff election between centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

Macron has opted for the dignified Esplanade du Louvre, the courtyard of the renowned museum in central Paris. The Louvre is already heavily guarded after an extremist attacker targeted soldiers near the museum during the presidential campaign.

If Le Pen wins, she plans to celebrate at the Chalet du Lac (sha-LAY doo lahk) in the Bois de Vincennes (bu-AH de vin-SEN) , a vast park on Paris’ eastern edge. She is notably staying away from the area around the Paris Opera, associated with her father’s past xenophobic reign over her National Front party.

Celebration sites have a huge symbolic power, and both candidates are trying to break with the past and the traditional left-right divide. It’s no wonder Macron didn’t choose the Bastille or Republique squares, two highly popular places for the left, or the Place de la Concorde, where former right-wing President Nicolas Sarkozy celebrated his victory.

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9:10 a.m.

Feminist activists have hung a big banner from a church to protest French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen in the depressed northern town where she is casting her ballot.

The activists were quickly detained after the protest Sunday in Henin-Beaumont, the latest among many actions in recent days against Le Pen or against both candidates.

Polls suggest centrist Emmanuel Macron is favored to beat Le Pen in Sunday’s runoff election.

Parisian voter Yves Robert staged his own kind of protest, casting a blank ballot. Many voters like him are both worried about the racist past of Le Pen’s National Front party and worried about the 39-year-old Macron’s inexperience or his pro-business policies.

Retiree Gabrielle Lebbe says she voted because she’s “worried for my grandchildren, I’m worried for the world.”

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8 a.m.

Voters across France are casting ballots in a presidential election runoff that could decide Europe’s future, choosing between independent Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen.

With Macron the pollsters’ favorite, voting stations opened across mainland France at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) under the watch of 50,000 security forces guarding against extremist attacks. Polling agency projections and initial official results will be available when the final stations close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT).

The unusually tense and unpredictable French presidential campaign ended with a hacking attack and document leak targeting Macron on Friday night. France’s government cybersecurity agency is investigating the hack.

Either candidate would lead France into uncharted territory, since neither comes from the mainstream parties that dominate parliament and have run the country for decades.