A cyberattack on the first day
The first round of the social-democratic left primary in France opened online at 08:00 on Friday 9 October, and the vote, conducted only by electronic means, was disrupted almost at once. The organising committee said the attack created a "massive, artificial surge in connections" that slowed the process considerably without halting it. Only about 20,000 people had voted by 19:00 on Friday, out of roughly 140,000 registered. Organisers then extended the ballot by a day, so it now closes at 18:00 on Sunday instead of 20:00 on Saturday. The platform used for the vote is called "e-votez" in the Paris prosecutor's account.
- Online voting opens and is disrupted by a cyberattack
- About 20,000 people have voted
- 71,250 voters, more than half of those registered
- 101,243 voters counted
- 107,356 voters, more than three quarters of those registered
- Scheduled close of the vote
Turnout climbs through Saturday
By 08:00 on Saturday, organisers reported 71,250 voters, more than half of those registered. BFMTV counted 101,243 voters at 18:00, and the organising committee reported 107,356 by 22:00, more than three quarters of the electorate. These are running counts at the moments stated, and the total will keep changing until the vote closes on Sunday. Patrick Mennucci, president of the organising commission, told AFP that the problems were over.
Everything is back in order.
Mennucci also said the system had been saturated, but that this would not change the result.
Investigation and security
The Paris prosecutor's office opened an investigation on Friday through its cybercrime section, and the case was entrusted to the Office anti-cybercriminalite (Ofac), which depends on the national police. The charges include hindering an automated data processing system, unlawful access to and modification of such a system, and participation in a criminal association to prepare an offence punishable by at least five years in prison. According to government sources cited by RFI, the National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI) has also been called in. Olivier Faure and Raphael Glucksmann both wrote on X that the integrity of the day's voting had not been compromised. In an interview with La Tribune Dimanche, Mennucci said the provider chosen, described as the main one in France, had never faced an attack of such scale.
We are clearly facing an attack against French democracy, which goes well beyond the primary of the Socialists.
He also said that no bot had been able to vote.
Candidates and stakes
Five candidates are on the ballot: Raphael Glucksmann, a Place publique MEP and the front-runner, Olivier Faure, the Socialist Party leader, Segolene Royal, the 2007 presidential candidate, Socialist MP Jerome Guedj, and Emmanuel Maurel, an MP for the Republican and Socialist Left (GRS). RFI reports Glucksmann polling at 10 to 12 percent in presidential voting intentions and hoping to win in the first round, while Faure stands between 3 and 5 percent. The 2012 primary that paved the way for Francois Hollande's victory drew between 2.6 and 2.8 million voters. The contest comes months before the 2027 election to succeed Emmanuel Macron, where far-right veteran Marine Le Pen is riding high in the polls despite a graft conviction.
What happens next
The vote closes at 18:00 on Sunday, and the result is expected shortly afterwards. If a second round is needed, it would take place on 16 and 17 October. According to RFI, turnout has so far exceeded expectations, although the primary still falls far short of the 2012 contest. Every figure cited so far is a running count taken before the close, so the final total is not yet known.