Polling stations in metropolitan France opened at 06:00 GMT and close at 16:00 GMT in small towns, 17:00 GMT in medium-sized towns and 18:00 GMT in large cities. Exit polls will be published at this late hour, sparking political reactions as the first results come in.

The far-right National Rally (RN) party is leading the polls with an average of 36%, up from 31.4% in the European elections on 9 June. This earlier victory prompted President Emmanuel Macron to call these elections. The New Popular Front (NFP), which unites the left, is averaging 28.2% in the polls, while the Macronist bloc is trailing further behind with 20.3%, a sharp decline from the elections two years ago.

Projections suggest that the RN could win an absolute majority in the second round, with a threshold of 289 MPs. In 2022, the RN won 88 seats, its best result ever. Jordan Bardella, RN leader and candidate for prime minister, has urged voters to give him an absolute majority so that he can implement his electoral programme without hindrance.

Citizens will elect 539 deputies from metropolitan France, 27 from the overseas territories and 11 to represent the French abroad. Polling stations have already opened in the overseas territories and in the constituencies for the French abroad, according to their time zones.

Under the electoral system, if no candidate wins an absolute majority in the first round, the two candidates with the most votes and those with at least 12.5% of the registered voters will go through to the second round. Voter turnout is expected to be high, between 64% and 66%.

Once Sunday night's results are known, strategies for the second round on 7 July will be evaluated, as only a few dozen of the 577 seats at stake are likely to be directly elected in the first round. The pollsters' predictions are only indicative, as they do not take certain factors into account. However, some suggest that the RN and its allies could exceed the 289 seats needed to form a government under Bardella's leadership.