Preliminary results in France show conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Segolene Royal have won the first round of voting in the French presidential election. Nicolas Sarkozy, the former Interior Minister, held the lead with about 30 per cent of the vote. Segolene Royal trailed with about 25 percent. Anita Elash reports for VOA from Paris.

Citizens in France are going to the election polls Sunday in the first round of voting to choose a successor to President Jacques Chirac, who is stepping down after 12 years in office. The polls opened early Sunday morning. Results are expected shortly after the polls close Sunday night. Anita Elash reports for VOA from Paris.

The first round of voting in the French presidential election takes place on Sunday. It's a close race between the top two candidates, but large numbers of voters are still undecided. Anita Elash reports for VOA from Paris.

The French presidential campaign entered its final phase Monday with a series of carefully choreographed spots by candidates, two weeks before the first round of voting. France's audiovisual regulator has allotted each candidate 45 minutes of airtime on public TV channels until April 20 - two days before the first round, when all candidates must stop their campaigning and no polls can be published.