France goes to the polls for first round of presidential elections French polling agencies are permitted to take samples directly from ballot boxes, so have early accurate voting estimates. Under French law, these can only be made public after polls close. However, foreign media, particularly Swiss and Belgian news broadcasters, usually release estimations and exit polls as early as 6pm local time. The race for third place has pitted far-Right National Front candidate Marine Le Pen against hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Veteran centrist François Bayrou, an eternal also-ran, is expected to come fourth, way ahead of Green candidate Eva Joly. Famously passionate about politics, the French have followed the campaign assiduously but have been deeply underwhelmed by the main candidates with the notable exception of Mr Mélenchon, whose Communist-backed Left Front coalition has made a strong breakthrough. Polls released ahead of the end of first round campaign at midnight on Friday showed Mr Hollande winning the first round with an average of 28 per cent support, against 26.4 per cent for Mr Sarkozy. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen was third with an average of 15.75 per cent, followed by Communist-backed Jean-Luc Melenchon of the Left Front with 13.75 per cent and centrist Francois Bayrou with 10.1 per cent. Opinion polls and campaigning will restart on Monday in the build-up to the May 6 run-off, which Mr Hollande is expected to win by around 55 per cent to 45. With the first round out of the way, Mr Sarkozy and Mr Hollande will have a two-week tussle before the final vote, which stands to include a handful of mass rallies and a just one head-to-head televised debate on May 2. The centre-Right incumbent is seeking re-election, saying only he can preserve a "strong France" and warning that his rival is inexperienced, indecisive and risks triggering panic on financial markets with reckless spending pledges. Mr Hollande claims Mr Sarkozy's presidency has divided the French, widened the gap between rich and poor with unfair economic reforms, and that his austerity measures will only increase already record unemployment rates. Privately, Mr Sarkozy's closest aides admit that if he fails to finish ahead of Mr Hollande today, his chances of making up the lost ground before the May 6 showdown will be minimal.