French voters swarmed to the polls on Sunday for the first round of voting in snap parliamentary elections that could install a far-right government for the first time since World War II.
Turnout was nearly 60% by 5 p.m. local time, up from less than 40% two years ago, with voting in major cities set to stop at 8 p.m., Reuters reported.
Preelection polling has shown the far-right National Rally with a comfortable lead that would likely lead to a July 7 runoff against the New Popular Front, a recently established left-wing coalition, the BBC noted.
President Emmanuel Macron, who called for the voting after his party was crushed by the National Rally in European Parliament elections earlier this month, cast his ballot in Le Touquet, a seaside resort in northern France, according to the Associated Press.
Macron has expressed confidence that France would reject the National Rally, whose leader, Marine Le Pen, lost to him in 2022.
Le Pen voted in the working-class town of Hénin-Beaumont, also in northern France, which is her party's stronghold.
Le Pen predicted Wednesday that her party would "win an absolute majority" in the 577-seat National Assembly and result in her protege Jordan Bardella being named prime minister, Reuters said.
Macron's term runs through 2027. A National Rally victory would result in a power-sharing system known as "cohabitation" that would weaken him domestically and internationally.
Preelection polling has suggested that the National Rally was gaining support and had a chance at victory, but some pollsters said heavy turnout by its opponents could hurt the party, AP said.
