PARIS - Millions of French voters began casting their ballots in the first round of the presidential election Sunday morning amid an atmosphere of uncertainty.
Polling stations at France's European continent opened at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) and will run for a maximum of 12 hours. Those in the largest cities will close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT). In France's oversea territories, the voting was held on Saturday.
The voting will winnow down a list of 11 candidates to two finalists for a runoff vote scheduled for May 7, if no one wins by at least 50 percent in the first round.
Out of the 11 candidates, four remain frontrunners in previous polls, namely the centrist former Minister of economy Emmanuel Macron, the far-rightist Marine Le Pen, the right-wing conservative Francois Fillon and the far-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon.
At the No. 17 polling station in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, a voter, Marine, who runs a magazine, told Xinhua that she has just voted for Macron.

"It's been five years since the left came in power and the result is disappointing. Why not give Macron a chance? France is facing a number of problems, including security and economy. I expect a united France," she said. (Xinhua)