Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. March 11, 2012 Le Pen Scrambles to Get on France Election Ballot Lisa Schlein | Paris Leader of France's far-right National Front party Marine Le Pen speaks to journalists during a press conference on March 8, 2012, at her campaign headquarters. Photo: AFP Leader of France's far-right National Front party Marine Le Pen speaks to journalists during a press conference on March 8, 2012, at her campaign headquarters. One of France's leading candidates in the upcoming presidential election may not appear on voter ballots. Far-right leader Marine le Pen is scrambling to get the 500 signatures from elected officials she needs to allow her to be on the ballot. Marine le Pen is in the news a lot these days. Not just because she is campaigning to become France's first female president. But also because of her controversial statements on immigration and Muslim dietary practices. The leader of France's far-right National Front party has called for a ban on halal meat, which is prepared according to special slaughtering practices by observant Muslims. She claims - although this is in dispute - that halal accounts for almost a quarter of the meat sold at supermarkets, that it may pose health risks and that animals suffer when they are killed. Le Pen is also talking tough on immigration. A measure of acceptance In these economic hard times, her anti-immigration rhetoric has found a measure of acceptance - not only with French voters, but also, it seems, with conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy. The president recently claimed France has too many foreigners. Opinion polls place Le Pen third in the presidential race, behind President Sarkozy and Socialist Party front-runner Francois Hollande. But when voters cast their ballots on April 22, Le Pen may not be on the ballot. That is because she is still missing endorsements by locally elected officials. She needs 500 to run. And the deadline for getting them is this coming week. Analyst Philippe Moreau Defarges of the French Institute for International Relations believes Le Pen will meet the requirements. "I think she will get her signatures. Behind the scenes, I think there are some people who know that it's better that she runs than that she doesn't run'¦because Le Pen is a stream in political life and Mrs. Le Pen must express her own vision." A father's shadow Polls indicate Le Pen has about 17 percent of voter support. That is about equal to the level of support her father, former National Front leader Jean-Marie le Pen, received during presidential elections a decade ago. The elder Le Pen shocked France - and the world - by placing second in the first round of 2002 voting. Then incumbent President Jacques Chirac trounced him in the second round, in what amounted to a referendum against extremism. Defarges doubts Le Pen will fare as well as her father. "There's a big difference between the father and the daughter. The father was a good speaker'¦Mrs. le Pen is not a bad speaker. But she doesn't have the vivacity, she's not as lively as her father. She's in a way more dogmatic in her style. Even if maybe in her vision she's much less dogmatic than her father." Le Pen is also facing competition for working class votes - not only from President Sarkozy, but also from the far left. So while some French might vote for her in the first round, they may switch their support to the opposite side of the political spectrum in the second. .