Regional Elections 2004French Regional Elections

Every six years in France there are regional elections. Each regional council, called a Conseil Régional in French will govern one of Frances 26 regions. The regional councils are responsible for such government functions as urban development, education and tourism.

There are two rounds of voting for the regional councils; each party or groups of parties will present a list of candidates for the first round. All parties or groups of parties that receive more than 10 percent of the vote will move on to the second round. In the second round it is possible that lists can fuse to better their chance of winning more votes, as long as those fusing have receive more than 5 percent of the vote.

Council seats are selected through a mix of direct and proportional representation. The party that receives the most votes, even if it is less than 50 percent will be given a majority of seats. The rest of the seats are allocated proportionally among the remaining parties that receive more than 5 percent in the second round.