It appears almost certain the final battle for the French presidency will be between incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist challenger Francois Hollande following the first round of voting on Sunday.

With 93 percent of the vote counted, the Interior Ministry in Paris reported that Hollande earned 28-point-four percent of the vote and Sarkozy 27 percent.

If no candidate earns a majority in the first round, the top two candidates enter into a runoff election.

The final vote will be held on May sixth, local time.