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    May 06, 2012

France Votes in Presidential Runoff

   VOA News
   People queue to cast their ballots in the second-round vote of the 2012
   French presidential elections in a polling station in Lyon, May 6,
   2012. Photo: Reuters
   People queue to cast their ballots in the second-round vote of the 2012
   French presidential elections in a polling station in Lyon, May 6,
   2012.

   French citizens are casting their ballots in a presidential runoff
   election Sunday.
   The latest opinion polls indicate President Nicolas Sarkozy has
   narrowed the gap behind his Socialist rival, but Francois Hollande is
   still expected to emerge victorious.
   Hollande cast his vote Sunday in the central town of Tulle, where he
   was once the mayor. Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, voted in Paris.
   President Sarkozy has faced criticism for his handling of the economy
   and his brash style during his five years in office.
   Hollande is a veteran politician who headed the Socialist Party for
   several years, but he has never held a top government post.
   Voting in France started at 8:00 a.m. local time (0500 UTC) and will
   close 10 hours later. Preliminary results are expected Sunday evening.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP.

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