It has been revealed that Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe received ten votes in the recent French presidential election.
France’s presidential election ended last weekend, April 24, with Emmanuel Macron being re-elected for a second term after a second round of voting.
According to L’Est Republicain, PSG and France footballer Mbappe was voted for ten times, an unexpected electoral success that occurred in Tallenay, a small town in the country’s east with a population of around 425 people.
According to the report, of the 348 locals who voted in Tallenay’s second round of voting, 175 voted for Macron and 75 voted for the incumbent’s main rival, Marine Le Pen, giving Macron a 70% share of the town’s vote, while nationally he received 58.5 percent of votes.
According to another ABC News report, official figures show that 28 percent of registered voters in France did not vote in Sunday’s presidential election, the highest percentage in the last two decades.
According to the report, French voters can express their dissatisfaction with both candidates by voting “blanc.” On Sunday, Blanc ballots accounted for 6.35 percent of all votes cast.
In Tallenay, 50 voters abstained, 22 left their ballot blank, and 10 of the 26 spoiled ballots were submitted with Mbappe’s name, presumably in protest of the legitimate options available.
In response to Mbappe’s surprise votes, Tallenay mayor Ludovic Barbarossa told Le Parisien: “We saw one [vote], then a second and a third.” They were well-made and appeared to be real ballot papers. The name was not scribbled down quickly with a pen, but rather typed on a computer and printed out. It didn’t appear to be the actions of a prankster, but rather a deliberate decision.
“Was it a bet between some friends? Did five couples have dinner together on Saturday to come up with the idea and organise it? I honestly don’t know.
“In any case, I refuse to judge the actions of my constituents who came to vote. They have the right to vote to return a blank vote. We had two other ballot papers with the name of the former deputy in chief with a photomontage, for example.”
Barbarossa also then said she would invite Mbappe to come and meet his supporters, saying that he will always be welcome to visit Tallenay.
He added:”I invite Kylian Mbappe to come! We are two hours by TGV [train] from Paris.”
