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An election whose political stake is almost in the background, so the context is particular. This is what characterizes these 2020 municipal elections, the first round of which takes place on Sunday March 15. While polling stations open at 8 am all over France, the big question remains that of the consequences that the coronavirus epidemic will have on the ballot, which was postponed for a time. Will the authorities' recommendations, which recommend limiting travel, especially for the elderly, have closed many public places and banned gatherings of more than 100 people, will they have an impact on participation? Follow the situation live.
The three things to remember
- Polling stations open at 8 a.m. in some 35,000 municipalities
- The unknown ballot remains the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on its logistics organization and on the participation rate
- The health crisis tends to take precedence over the political stakes of an election that was almost postponed
A context turned upside down by the health crisis
Some 35,000 municipalities open their polling stations on Sunday morning, from 8 a.m. Nearly 47.7 million voters are expected at the polls. But can the vote be organized correctly when the coronavirus epidemic is still growing in France? The government's latest announcements on Saturday cast even more doubt on the answer to this question. Public places and shops considered non-essential were indeed ordered to close at midnight on Saturday evening. Will the confinement instructions passed by the authorities weigh on participation?
The Minister of the Interior, Christophe Castaner, admitted Saturday morning "to fear" a participation in the decline. Doubts fueled by the fact that the executive has in particular encouraged the elderly, who traditionally are at the electoral meeting, to confine themselves at home. The municipal participation rate, of 63.55% in the first round in 2014, has already been decreasing for 30 years.
Christophe Castaner also acknowledged that certain municipalities had found it difficult to set up their polling stations, due to the lack of volunteers to act as assessors. "All week, every day, between 5 and 10 people" withdrew in the town of Guebwiller, in the Haut-Rhin, according to a civil status official interviewed by Europe 1. "There were different reasons : first there was prevention, for people who have fragile health or a loved one who has fragile health ... And then there were sick people. "
The difficulties are looming such that voices were raised on Saturday evening to demand the postponement of the poll. Five regional presidents, including Xavier Bertrand (LR), Hervé Morin (Les Centristes) and Carole Delga (PS) have urged the President of the Republic to postpone the first round, saying that it could not take place in good conditions .
Specific measures put in place
To reassure the population and limit the risk of contamination, the municipalities have deployed major means: posters reminding the famous "barrier gestures" to be respected for health reasons, nearby sinks and / or hydroalcoholic gel available, regular disinfection of tablets in the voting booths ... many measures have been taken. Finally, a distance of one meter must be observed between each voter to avoid contact.
Advice is also given, such as preparing your bulletin in advance or coming with your own pen, blue or black, to sign the registers. The less crowded hours, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., are preferred. However, none of these measures being restrictive, everyone is focusing above all on civic-mindedness.