The leading contenders for the French presidency made their final appeals to voters on the last day of campaigning before yesterday's election.
Incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy – who has been in office since 2007 – urged supporters to choose "a strong France".
Socialist challenger Francois Hollande, who also held a rally, said it was "the left's turn to govern the country". There are 10 candidates in all and if no candidate wins 50% of the votes, there will be a second run-off round. The two rivals are about 10 points ahead of third-ranked Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader.
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