France is currently holding snap parliamentary elections, with two rounds of voting – on Sunday, June 30th and Sunday, July 7th. 

So when can we expect the results and what do they all mean?

Results time

If you’re used to following elections in the UK or the US, you might be planning an all-night watch party following the results being declared for each area.

France is not like that – on Sunday polls close at 8pm and then immediately a preliminary result is announced.

These are sometimes described as exit polls, but they’re not – what they are is sample results from carefully selected constituencies, worked out according to a complicated formula.

How does France produce such accurate provisional election results?

But the important thing about them is that they are usually very accurate – so basically we will know the result at 8pm on Sunday.

Counting, however, continues all night at polling stations across the country – but the results are not released on an area-by-area basis. Instead the Interior Ministry tallies all the results and then releases the full and final totals some time on Monday, usually in the morning.

These usually differ by a few percent from the provisional totals, but the final result has never (so far) been different to the result given at 8pm.

Results of two rounds

Because French elections take place over two rounds, the results mean slightly different things.

The results this Sunday tell us only which candidates have progressed to round two of voting (to be held on July 7th).

It will also tell us which parties have been eliminated at the round one stage in each constituency.

READ ALSO How does France’s two-round voting system work?

In most constituencies round two is a two-horse race but it’s possible to have three or even four candidates get through to the second round, depending on the vote share.

In this election, it is expected that in a significant number of seats the run-off will be between a candidate from the far-right Rassemblement National and the alliance of leftist parties known as Nouveau Front Populaire. This is somewhat uncharted waters for French politics, so expect much fevered speculation on what it means and which way voters will lean in round two.

The results from round two – which follow the same pattern of provisional results at 8pm on Sunday followed by full results on Monday – are much simpler.

They tell us which candidate won in each of France’s 577 constituencies and which party they represent.

We then do some speedy maths to work out if any of the parties have reached the magic number of 289 seats, which would give them an absolute majority in parliament.

If no party gets 289 seats, then fun and games begin with attempts to build coalitions and alliances between the parties.

READ ALSO Coalition, resignation or shared rule: The possible outcomes of France’s snap elections