* As of 5 pm, voting offices register a participation level of around 39%, down 16 point from last year, France's Interior Ministry said.
* Some 48 million voters, including residents in France from other EU countries, are eligible to vote.
* The elections will determine mayors and local councillors in some 35,000 French cities, towns and villages.
* In Paris, incumbent mayor Anne Hidalgo (Socialist Party, left-wing) seeks to conserve her mayoral seat. Her main opponents are Rachida Dati (Les Republicains Party, right-wing) and Agnes Buzyn (President Macron's party Republic on the Move, centre-right)
France woke up on Sunday to one of the strangest days in its recent history.
Restaurants, bars, theatres, cinemas and public monuments such as the Eiffel Tower have closed for an unspecified period.
People flocked to supermarkets and pharmacies stockpiling items like toilet paper, rice and pasta, causing shortages in some cases.
However, in spite of warnings from politicians and medical staff; President Emmanuel Macron has resolved to go through with the country's local elections.
Measures for 'minimal life'
"I think it is important to vote but one must follow the rules", President Macron said on Sunday, after having cast his vote in Touquet (Northern France).
"Minimal life must continue. One must be able to buy food and to vote", Macron said.
At the voting offices, strict hygienic procedures were put in place.
Municipalities have said they would regularly disinfect door handles and voting booths, while advising voters to bring their own writing implements.
Elderly people have been encouraged to stay home and delegate their vote to others.
Measures not enough, some voters say
French news site FranceInfo features accounts from voters who claimed that the measures were not universally applied.
"In my voting bureau in Paris' 12th district, there was no hand sanitiser, people were not maintining the minimum requiered distance between themselves", a voter wrote.
The second round of elections is to be held next Sunday.
Daily news briefReceive essential international news every morning
Subscribe
