Socialist Francois Hollande: Jean-Luc Melenchon

Marine Le Pen Dept: Polls for months have shown that conservative Sarkozy and Socialist Francois Hollande are likely to make the cut -- and suggest Hollande would win the campaign finale. Many voters are turned off by conservative Sarkozy's flashy style as they worry about jobs and the economy, according to CTV. The campaign has been marked by frustration with the incumbent and the rise of the extremes. Voters may hand higher-than-expected support to far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen or Communist-backed firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon and the first-round balloting will trim down a list of 10 candidates from across the political spectrum to two finalists for a May 6 runoff. The Interior Ministry said early turnout figures showed 70.6 per cent of France's 44-million-plus voters cast ballots before noon -- less than the 73.8 per cent in 2007 at the same time, but more than in the four previous races. Overall turnout in the 2007 first round was nearly 84 per cent, the highest figure since the 1970s. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.