Right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy has the edge over his Socialist rival Segolene Royal ahead of the first round of France's presidential election tomorrow, according to most final opinion polls.
France's 44.5 million voters will enjoy a campaign-free day today after a campaign blackout came into force at midnight with a rush of opinion surveys providing mixed messages for the leading candidates.
Ms Royal continued to nibble away at Mr Sarkozy's lead but the BVA and Ipsos institutes forecast the former interior minister would go on to win a May 6th run-off against the Socialist by 52 per cent and 53.5 per cent respectively.
However, a CSA poll published by the Le Parisien daily on its Web site late yesterday made the race a dead heat, and suggested far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen could snatch third place from centrist Francois Bayrou.
Today is a traditional day of reflection for voters ahead of Sunday's vote, in which a dozen candidates are standing. If, as expected, no one wins an absolute majority in the first round the top two will contest a second round ballot on May 6th.
Polls indicate millions of voters remain undecided despite months of fierce political battles that have focused as much on personality as policy.
Royal, bidding to become France's first woman president, wrapped up her campaign saying voters were "going to write a very important page in the history of France."
Victory by her, Mr Sarkozy or Mr Bayrou would put a new generation in charge of the euro zone's second economy as incumbent Jacques Chirac bows out after 12 years at the helm.