Polling turnout for the first round of municipal election in France was at 54.72 percent at 5 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), lower than 56.25 percent at the same time in 2008, the French Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

According to CSA poll, the abstention rate would hit 50-year-high following the record registered in the previous local runoff in which 33.4 of voters turn their backs on 36,000 candidates.

A record widespread abstention mirrors the frustration of disgruntled voters who were impatient to see a promising outlook pledged by the ruling Socialists, adding to their fatigue with political rows that took the spotlight recent days.

Some 44.5 million French voters are registered as eligible to cast their ballots across the country's polling stations, which will close at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT), when results of the first round waiting to be released. Endi

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