French voters are casting ballots in the first round of the country's regional elections, seen as a barometer ahead of next year's presidential election. 

Marine Le Pen's far-right party National Rally (RN) hopes to win its first region.

The election is for new leadership councils for mainland France's 13 regions that will determine the future of local issues such as infrastructure, schools and transportation.

However, France's leading politicians are using this election to test ideas before the April presidential poll. While not personally on the ballot, Le Pen has campaigned heavily.

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"What would be great for her, and would spark some momentum in the pre-presidential campaign, would be if the National Rally won a region," said Stephane Zumsteeg, the head of the opinion and politics department at Ipsos, a polling firm.

A survey from Ipsos and another polling firm suggested that the RN is in the lead in six of the regions, meaning the party could dominate the first round of voting. 

However, there is a second-round the following Sunday. Traditionally the far-right has suffered in later votes as centerist parties combine forces to block its progress.

The most likely region to turn in the RN's favor is the south-eastern Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, where Marseille, Cannes and Saint-Tropez are located. 

Thierry Mariani, the RN candidate for that region, is running on a campaign that calls for more police and cuts to public funding for community organizations, a move that critics argue would target Muslim and LGBT+ associations.

The election may also prove tough for President Emmanuel Macron, whose party is not expected to win any region. Pollsters sat many voters are frustrated with how he handled the pandemic.

Despite this, Macron and Le Pen are still seen as front-runners for the April national elections.