PARIS -- The first round of France's snap legislative elections kicks off Sunday in Metropolitan France for voters to elect 577 members for the National Assembly out of over 4,000 candidates.

Polling booths are open for the 49.5 million registered voters from 8 am to 6 pm local time (0600 GMT to 1600 GMT), while in major cities, such as Paris, Lyon and Marseille, the booths will close at 8 pm local time (1800 GMT).

Each deputy is elected by direct universal suffrage for five years in a constituency, of which Metropolitan France has 539 and the overseas territories 27. A further 11 deputies will represent French nationals living abroad.

If a candidate scores an absolute majority in the first round -- more than 50 percent of the vote and a turnout rate of no less than 25 percent -- he or she is elected without needing a second round.

If no candidate wins an absolute majority in his or her constituency, those candidates who win the support of at least 12.5 percent of registered voters in the first round can advance to the second round on July 7.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on June 9 the dissolution of the National Assembly and called new legislative elections after his Renaissance party coalition suffered a heavy defeat in the European Parliament (EP) elections.

The Renaissance party coalition gained 14.6 percent of the votes in the 2024 EP elections, much behind the opposition far-right National Rally, which received 31.37 percent of the votes.

According to several pre-election polls, the National Rally should lead the first round. Provisional results are expected from 8 pm local time (1800 GMT).