It is a subtlety of the French electoral code. If no candidate exceeds 50% of the votes in a constituency, a second round is organized between the first two… and all those who crossed the bar of 12.5% of registered voters in the first round, giving rise to triangular (second round three candidates), or even quadrangular (four candidates).
Sunday June 12, on the evening of the first round, eight constituencies were concerned, including two in Hauts-de-Seine and in Lot-et-Garonne. Philippe Juvin, former candidate for the Republican primary, will experience it. He comes second (31.14%) in the 3e district of Hauts-de-Seine, behind the presidential majority candidate Aurélie Taquillain (32.40%) and ahead of Sara Tij (Nupes) with her 23.10%.
In the 2e, the ecologist of Nupes, Francesca Pasquini (27.41%), came first, ahead of Baï-Audrey Achidi (Together!, 26.79%) and Marie-Do Aeschlimann (LR, 24.99%). The three women are qualified for the second round. In the Nièvre and its 2e constituency, the Rassemblement nationa candidate, Julien Guibert, came first with 27.80% of the votes cast. He will face Patrice Perrot (Together!, 26.75%), Marie-Anne Guillemain (Nupes), is in third place with 24.31%.
In the 2e constituency of Tarn: Karen Erodi (Nupes) came first with 29.91% followed by the candidate of Ensemble!, Marie-Christine Verdier-Jouclas (28.34%). Less than 1,000 votes separate the two women. The RN candidate, Julien Bacou, qualifies with 23.68% of the vote.
In Lot-et-Garonne, two constituencies are affected by triangular. The 1re, with Michel Lauzzana in the lead. Together’s candidate! won 29.64% of the vote, just ahead of Sébastien Delbosq (RN) at 27.87% and Maryse Combres (Nupes) who reached 26.21%. In the 2e constituency, Alexandre Freschi (Together!) qualifies in 3e position with 25.62% of the vote. He places himself behind Christophe Courregelongue, candidate of Nupes, who obtains 26.03%. Finally, in the lead, it is the candidate of the National Rally who dominated this first round. Hélène Laporte peaks at 30.55%.
Finally, in the Lot and its 2e constituency, two left-wing candidates came out on top in the first round. Thierry Grossemy (Nupes) harvests 23.73%, ahead of Huguette Tiegna, of the presidential majority (23.70%), 13 votes separate them, and Christophe Proença (23.16%), socialist candidate who refused to participate in Nupes.
With a now very high abstention rate in the legislative elections (52.49%), it is rare for more than two candidates to make it to the second round. In 2017, with 51.3% abstention, a single triangular contest opposed a La République en Marche-Democratic Movement candidate, a Republican and a National Front candidate, in the 1re constituency of Aube. In 2012, with 42.78% abstention, there were thirty-four triangular during the legislative – for 543 duels. In 2007, with an abstention of 39.58%, it took almost 21% of voters to be in third place in the second round – only one triangular had taken place.