How many French people will still go to the polls this Sunday? "I fear a very strong abstention. With the latest announcements, people are likely to remain confined… ”, anticipates in dismay Christophe Bouillon, the president of the association of small towns of France (APVF). These "announcements" are those of Edouard Philippe this Saturday evening. To cope with the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, the Prime Minister announced the closing, from midnight, of "all places receiving public not essential to the life of the country", such as restaurants, bars and shops other than pharmacies, food stores or tobacco shops. But, at the same time, the Prime Minister maintained the first round of municipal elections this Sunday, ensuring that the scientific committee set up by the Elysée had still not recommended a postponement.
A decision that leaves many officials unmoved, who have spent the last few days following the recommendations of the Ministry of the Interior to organize their polling stations: markings on the ground, voting booths without curtains, provision of hydroalcoholic gel… "We are a little clueless, we made a considerable effort for the organization. For several days, I had not even finished writing a press release that new instructions were arriving. It seems obvious to me that the abstention will be huge, ”says Jean-Paul Legendre, mayor of Iville (Eure). As president of the departmental association of mayors, the elected official has received numerous worried calls from the mayors in the past 24 hours. "It didn't stop all day, they have lots of questions, especially those who lack masks," he says.
"It is getting more and more complicated ..."
“I find it odd that the Prime Minister announced all of this this evening. It blurs the message that saying: going to vote is no worse than going to buy your bread at the bakery, "adds Philippe Laurent, mayor of Sceaux and secretary general of the association of mayors of France (AMF). "It becomes more and more complicated to explain that associative life and social life are reduced to the strict minimum and that electoral life is not concerned," summarizes Christophe Bouillon.
These elected officials do not imagine canceling the poll in their municipality. Several regional presidents have asked for a postponement of the first round on Twitter. This is the case, in particular, of Carole Delga (Occitanie), Renaud Muselier (Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur), Hervé Morin (Normandy) or even Gilles Simeoni (president of the executive council of Corsica). “The French would not understand that they are asked to vote this Sunday. Even if the organization had been well done, that the mayors respected the instructions so that everything went well, the climate will be so special that it will not be conducive to a peaceful democratic debate before the second round, "argues the first.
As President of the #Corse Executive Council, I request the cancellation of the #municipal ballot. Because it is my duty to protect the Corsicans. And so that universal suffrage can, once the epidemic is overcome, be expressed in normal conditions.
- Gilles Simeoni (@Gilles_Simeoni) March 14, 2020But it is hard to imagine, legally and in practice, how the poll could be canceled less than twelve hours before the scheduled opening time of the 70,000 polling stations. Despite these extremely specific conditions, and even if many voters (especially the elderly) may well not go to vote, the vote should therefore take place. But big doubts appear on the holding of the second round, provided in the texts "the Sunday following the first round", that is to say next Sunday. This Saturday evening, and unlike the day before, Edouard Philippe did not comment on his outfit on the scheduled date.
