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French presidential hopefuls cast ballots in first round of election

On April 23, French citizens are voting to elect their next president

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Francois Fillon casts his ballot

© Christophe Archambault, Pool via AP

Jean-Luc Melenchon casts his ballot to vote in the first round of the French presidential election, in Paris

© AP Photo/Francois Mori

Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte leave after casting their ballot in le Touquet

© AP Photo/Thibault Camus

Marine Le Pen casts her vote for the first-round presidential election in Henin-Beaumont, northern France

© AP Photo/Frank Augstein

French president Francois Hollande casts his ballot in the first round of the presidential election in Tulle

© Georges Gobet, Pool via AP

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LIVE updates: French presidential election 2017

MOSCOW, April 23. /TASS/. All 11 French presidential hopefuls have cast their ballots in the first round of the election.

Meanwhile, in France itself, where the polling stations opened at 8 in the morning, people are coming to vote. First preliminary results may be announced before midnight.

Four most prominent candidates are far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, head of left-wing political movement La France Insoumise Jean-Luc Melenchon, The Republicans' party nominee Francois Fillon and independent candidate Emmanuel Macron and Benoit Hamon, the candidate from the ruling Socialist Party.

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French presidential election 2017

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