France heads to the polls as race for president is too close to call

People in France have been voting for a new president as a unpredictable and tight campaign heads into its first-round contest.

Amid tight security following a terrorist attack on Thursday polling stations have been filled with voters as this election looks set to be a stress test for people's patient with the political establishment.

The incident led to many candidates cancelling rallies, though some did make last-minute pitches focused on security – leading to accusations of exploiting a tragedy.

More than 50,000 police officers – as well as 7,000 soldiers – have been deployed across the country.

[caption id="attachment_536" align="aligncenter" width="478"] Masked police stand on top of their vehicle on the Champs Elysees Avenue. © REUTERS/Christian Hartmann[/caption]

Turnout is expected to be high despite media reports quoting people saying they will abstain due to disillusionment with politicians.

Centre ground parties have had difficulty making an impact in this campaign, with the far-right and far-left at the core of ideological battles.

The top two highest polling candidates will go forward to a final run-off.

Statistics show that four for the 11 candidates could make it to the next round, with reports from France state that around a third of voters are still undecided.