French Politicswith Dr. Amine Zidouh
    France’s Presidential Elections

    When do French people vote for president?

    French voters go to the polls twice: 18 April 2027, then 2 May 2027 if a runoff is needed.

    The French president is elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term. Voting takes place on Sundays, in two rounds separated by two weeks.

    In 2027, the first round is on 18 April. Any number of candidates can appear on the ballot, and voters pick one. The second round, on 2 May, only happens if nobody passes 50% in the first round.

    Polling stations are traditionally open from 8 am to 6 pm or 7 pm, with larger cities often staying open until 8 pm. French citizens abroad vote through consulates and embassies.

    Explore France's 2027 presidential election

    Keep reading

    Official calendar: service-public.gouv.fr. This page is a general explainer and will be updated as the campaign develops.

    Teaching and learning

    Intended audience: Undergraduate students in French studies, history, political science and related fields; independent adult learners.

    Suggested uses: Guided data interpretation, election comparison and evidence-based discussion.

    After using this resource, learners should be able to:

    • Interpret the election results, turnout figures and ballot statistics presented in this resource.
    • Identify the election, round, geographic scope and denominator before comparing figures.
    • Distinguish descriptive patterns in the data from claims about individual voting motives.

    Use the objectives that correspond to the material available on this page. Collection pages provide entry points to individual resources; unfinished or unavailable material is not a completed learning activity.

    Original materials © Dr. Amine Zidouh / French Politics, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 unless otherwise indicated. When sharing or reproducing covered material, credit Dr. Amine Zidouh and French Politics, link to the source and license, and identify changes. Images, protest signs, artworks and other third-party materials are excluded. See Rights, Credits & Educational Reuse for scope, attribution and the as-is disclaimer.