Presidential Election in France

So like the United States, this year is a presidential election year in France and today happens to be voting day (which is always a Sunday). It has been very interesting to be in a country different from home and see the similarities and differences(there are many and I am not about to cover them all).

I have learned quite a bit about the political process in France both from James and my students. It seems to be a bigger topic of discussion in France than the US, but this could just be my perception.

One of the major differences I have noticed are the way in which the candidates campaign. Unlike the States, France doesn't have all of the negative TV ads running at all hours of the day. This is refreshing since by the time the election day rolls around in the US most of us are just ready for it to be over so we don't have to see all of the ads anymore.

Another difference is that they hold 2 rounds of election. The first round consists of 10 presidential candidates on the ballot. To be one of those 10 candidates you have to have received at minimum of 500 mayor signatures to endorse you. The first round of voting happened two weeks ago. The two candidates with the most votes move on to be on the final ballot. The first round consisted of something like 81% participation of voters, that is impressive to me as I don't think we achieve that in the US.

The results are not announced until after 8pm when all polling locations have closed (unlike the States in which we are getting a blow by blow of the results as they happen). This builds quite a bit of anticipation and in our house the countdown was like the ball dropping on NYE.

The countdown to results being shared

The final two candidates are the current president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Francois Hollande.

The results given at 8pm for the 1st round

It is quite strange to be in a country where I am not a participating voter yet am affected by the government and any changes that occur (employment, immigration, insurances, etc). We will see what happens this evening after 8pm and the first of the results are shared. I have been told that it is common for the presidential elections to be very close and so the results are often not final until the following day.

James is very interested and engaged in the political process so I am hoping that it turns out the way he would like. Happy Husband=Happy Wife :)

On a side note, I also need to figure out how to absentee vote for the US. Anyone with experience or knowledge on this?