On 15 March 2020, the first round of municipal elections took place in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and the rest of the country.
With only 40.28% of voters in Haute-Savoie & around 44.5% in the whole of France, the rate of abstention is described as historic.
However, these numbers should be taken with a pinch of salt, as the municipal elections take place during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
Haute-Savoie Results
French voters stayed away from polling stations on Sunday, despite the implemented special sanitary measures against the coronavirus COVID-19.
"With the strong abstention, it is difficult to interpret the results", comments Loïc Hervé, senator for Haute-Savoie, for Le Dauphine.
However, some trends do emerge from the first tour of the municipal elections in Haute-Savoie.
In some municipalities, it would appear that those who have led local politics for the past six years have a clear advantage.
This is the case in Saint-Gervais for Jean-Marc Peillex (77.63%), Jean-Philippe Mas in Cluses (65.49%), Eric Fournier in Chamonix (50.78%), Christian Dupessey in Annemasse ( 50.02%), all reinstalled at the end of this first round with more or less ease.
On the other hand, there are municipalities where the second round of the elections will be a reason for anxiety. This is the case of Annecy, where Jean-Luc Rigaut is leading with only 28.39 %.
"The main question is whether there will be a second round. If the epidemic becomes too large, there will be even more severe confinement. And it is very likely, unfortunately, the second round to be postponed", declared Loïc Hervé, senator for Haute-Savoie.
Chamonix Results
With a population of 8759 residents (Le Monde), Chamonix-Mont-Blanc had a participation rate of 46.05% in the first round of municipal election 2020.
Eric Fournier, mayor of Chamonix since 2008, took the lead, with 50.78 % of votes.
He was followed by François-Xavier Laffin, with 34.26 % and Jean Fabre, with 14.96%.
Council seats are offered at 50% to candidates who make up the majority list in the first round, in the event of an absolute majority. The other half is distributed proportionally among all the lists with a result higher than 5%.
All of the 29 council seats have therefore already been allocated in the first round of the 2020 municipal elections in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.
Eric Fournier has 22 seats to his list, François-Xavier Laffin - 5 seats and Jean Fabre 2 seats.
Read also: Chamonix Mayoral Elections Debate.
