Feature: French voters in "most unpredictable" election

"This is the presidential election after all," a worker in his 50s told Xinhua at a polling station in Paris, in a polite and serious manner, while busy checking on some final details of the voting facilities.

Around 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT), workers arrived at the polling station No. 17 in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, for preparing for the first round of the the presidential election, the "most unpredictable" one in the history of the French Fifth Republic.

Everything needed to be done in accordance with the country's election law before the polls opened at 8 a.m., from the ballots, booths, the name lists, to the waiting lines on the floor.

Four armed military patrols passed by the polling station for a security check around 7:50 a.m., then swiftly moved on to the next. Police and gendarmes were dispatched at the entrances of some major polling stations.

The French interior ministry has announced a deployment of around 50,000 police officers and 7,000 soldiers across the country to safeguard the election, which has been in the shadow of security threats in the final run-up.

For the 47 million registered voters in France, the decision seems particularly difficult to make this year.

"None of the candidates have a satisfactory proposal to me. My mind kept changing for the past few days. It really bothered me," said Charlotte, a bank employee in her 20s, admitting that her struggle only ended the moment she stepped into the polling station.

"This election is definitely different from the previous ones. My mum even told me that she's going to cast an empty ballot," she added.

Like Charlotte and her family, one third of the eligible voters were "undecided" before the vote, according to recent surveys.

"We choose a president to defend the interests of all inside and outside the country. Unfortunately, I noted that for years the French interests have not been taken into account. So, for me, abstention is the solution," said Laurent, a worker at Charles De Gaulle airport.

Media predicted a lower turnout for Sunday's vote, but figures from the French interior ministry showed that the turnout reached 28.54 percent till noon, slightly higher than the previous election in 2012.

In Strasbourg, the seat of the European Parliament in northeastern France, citizens were seen queuing up in front of the city center in the morning.

At the polling stations No. 107 and No. 108, workers stood by the entrances advising people to come back later to avoid waiting of up to 20 minutes.

"I've never seen so many people, much more than in 2012," said Gilles, a 50-year-old lobbyist. "It is reassuring because it represents the democratic health of our country."

Previous polls indicated that centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-rightist Marine Le Pen will be in lead in the first round and face off in a runoff on May 7.

The other two candidates that come on their heels in polls are conservative Francois Fillon and far-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon.

But all scenarios are still possible, as the margins among the four remain really tight, according to analysts.

Nicolas, a teacher who voted for socialist candidate Benoit Hamon told Xinhua that he argued with his friends over their choices of candidates. "I feel deeply European, and I refuse to be influenced by the opinions polls."

Polling stations at France's European continent will run for a maximum of 12 hours. Those in the largest cities will close at 8 p.m. In France's oversea territories, the voting was held on Saturday.

"The proposals by the candidates all seem wonderful but I expect whoever wins to keep their promises to ensure the country's security and boost growth," said Alexandre, who voted in Henin-Beaumont, north France. Endit