PARIS, April 21 (UPI) -- French voters spent a campaign-free "day of reflection" Saturday ahead of Sunday's national elections.
A ban on all forms of media publishing opinion polls and statements from candidates took effect after midnight Saturday as voters began a day of mulling over their final decisions, CNN reported.
France's election is scheduled to begin Sunday at 8 a.m. and finish at 8 p.m. Projections are due out as soon as voting stops. If no clear majority is won by a candidate in the first round of voting, a run-off will be held May 6 between the top two candidates.
Going into the day of reflection, opinion polls favored right-of-center Nicolas Sarkozy, left-of-center Segolene Royal, centrist Francois Bayrou and far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, CNN said.
CNN predicted a high voter turnout, citing a more intense than usual campaign.
