France votes in presidential election

French citizens are voting for their next President on Sunday following a volatile campaign period that was overshadowed by a terror attack on police in Paris last week. With 11 names on the ballot, no one candidate is expected to win an outright majority. Only four leading contenders are seen as having a realistic prospect of making it through to the second-round vote in May, CNN writes.

The frontrunners are far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, scandal-hit conservative François Fillon, centrist newcomer Emmanuel Macron and far-left wildcard Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The top two in Sunday's vote will face off on May 7 for the second and final round of voting.

Some 47 million people are registered to vote, and latest polls suggest the results are too close to call. That means France could end up with a choice between candidates from the far-left and far-right, or a far-right stalwart facing off against a political novice. With such a fractured field, no one is expected to win a majority in Sunday's first round.

Polls opened at 8 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET) Sunday across the country, and by midday, around 30% of voters had cast their ballots. Initial results expected in the evening.

Security has been stepped up for the vote, taking place at 70,000 polling stations. Extra police have been deployed to the streets of Paris and elsewhere.