Round 1 Of French Presidential Election: Macron 23.7%, Le Pen 21.7%

Via The BBC:

The centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen have won the first round of voting in French presidential elections, projected results say.

Mr Macron won 23.7%, while Ms Le Pen won 21.7%, French TV says.

The two saw off a strong challenge from centre-right François Fillon and the hard-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon, according to the projections.

The pair now face a run-off vote on 7 May.

Most polls show Macron defeating Le Pen in the second round.

Food for thought: if we elected our president by popular vote, as in France, we would have President Hillary Clinton.