French voters began casting their ballots on Sunday in the presidential run-off between centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen. Most commentators suggest the level of abstention will have a crucial impact on the outcome.
Macron went into the election with a stable lead in opinion polls, an advantage he consolidated in the frenetic final days of campaigning, including a no-holds-barred performance in the pre-election debate.
