The French came out and voted today in record numbers--over 85% turnout in presidential election!

[flpoljunkie]

"Good on the French!"

France opts for left-right battle



Centre-right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy will face Socialist Segolene Royal in the run-off of France's presidential election on 6 May, results indicate.

With most votes counted in Sunday's first round, Mr Sarkozy had nearly 31%, with Ms Royal, bidding to be France's first woman president, on 25%.

Centrist Francois Bayrou got 18%, and far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen almost 11%.

Voting throughout the day reached record numbers, with turnout put at 85% - the highest for nearly 50 years.

On a bright spring day, disillusionment with politicians and their promises did not translate into apathy, reports the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Paris.

Instead, young and old alike queued at the polling booths at schools and town halls, although in their choices they remained as divided as ever.

Voters turned out in such high numbers that the authorities decided to allow more time for people who were still queueing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6582007.stm

[ck4829]

1. Probably mostly to keep that wacko Le Pen out of the run-off

Great for the French to do that.

[deadmessengers]

4. Hey, if that's what it takes...

I wonder what David Duke is doing? Wonder if he could be persuaded to run as a third-party candidate in '08? ;-)

[illinoisprogressive]

2. oui. we are awesome!

[BrklynLiberal]

3. and what is the US percentage of eligible voters that actually vote?

Below 50%? We are letting a relatively small percentage of the eligible voting public determine who runs this country. I would like to know how many of the loud-mouthed complainers one hears on a daily basis, actually went out to vote!!
It is disgusting to think about all the struggles and deaths that resulted from the fight to gain the vote...and nowadays, people don't even bother.

That means that the elected president may actually get less than 25% of the votes that could have been cast!!!!!!!!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6399980/

Biggest turnout of voters since 1968
<snip>
Gans put the total turnout at nearly 120 million people. That represents just under 60 percent of eligible voters — the highest percentage turnout since 1968, Gans said.

105.4 million in 2000
One county clerk in Illinois spoke for poll workers across the country on Election Day when he summed up the turnout with one word: “Gangbusters.”

Four years ago, in the election that led to Republican George W. Bush’s narrow victory over Democrat Al Gore, slightly more than 54 percent of eligible voters, or about 105.4 million, voted.

President Clinton’s 1996 re-election bid drew just 49 percent of eligible voters, about 96.3 million. But his 1992 challenge to the first President Bush brought out 55.2 percent of eligible voters, or about 104.4 million.
<snip>

[Colobo]

5. The US has a very poor turnout.

Latin American nations tend to have 80%+ turnouts in presidental elections.

[JI7]

6. isni't it law that they have to vote unlike in United States ?

i know some places do but not sure about France.

[Colobo]

7. They should do that here.

It should be a civil duty, not a right.

[BeyondGeography]

8. It helps that they vote on Sunday as opposed to Tuesday

but, of course, French participation rates would be higher than ours anyway.

I lived there for four years as a student and was around for the Mitterand/Giscard election in 1981. Back then it was a couple of televised debates for the first round, a follow-up debate for the second round and billboard advertising only. The elections remain fully funded by the public; a far more evolved democracy when it comes to elections than what we have here.

[ElizabethDC]

9. They really do seem to have an excellent campaigning system

I read something that said that the candidates aren't allowed to campaign the day before the election, that way people have time to consider their votes. They also have restrictions on when opinion polls can be done. It all sounds like a good idea to me!

[Colobo]

10. That's done in Mexico, Argentina and many other places

I don't know why it's not done over here.

[ElizabethDC]

11. Yeah, I don't know what our problem is

our campaigning and election systems need a good cleanup!

[Colobo]

12. It needs to be updated

Starting by getting rid of the Electoral College.

[ElizabethDC]

13. Amen to that! n/t