PARIS, May 29, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - A divided France voted Sunday, May 29, in a referendum on the European Union's first-ever constitution, with opinion polls pointing towards a “no” that would send a shockwave across the continent.

Polling stations opened at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) to the country's 42 million eligible voters under mixed skies, and were to remain open until 8:00 pm, with residents of Paris and Lyon given a further two hours to cast their ballots, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

At midday, one in four registered voters had cast ballots, the interior ministry announced -- a slightly higher turnout than in 1992 when France voted on the Maastricht treaty to create the euro.

“Europe is the future. If we want to be strong enough to face up to the United States, we have to vote for Europe”, said Rachel Allouche, a “yes” voter, outside a polling station in northern Paris.

“Even if it is a bit irresponsible to vote 'no', we have to show we are against the government's current policies”, counter-argued Francois Lequeux, a “no” supporter.

Joel Petit, a 45-year-old technician, said his choice behind the voting curtain was not “yes” or “no”.

“I cast a blank vote. There wasn't enough decent information for me to decide either way,” he told AFP.

Due to the time difference, the 1.4 million voters in France's overseas territories went to the polls on Saturday.

Exit polls were not to be released before 10:00 pm (2000 GMT), so as not to prejudice last-minute voters.

After a hard-fought campaign that polarized the country, the last opinion polls released Friday indicated that opponents of the landmark EU charter would prevail, with between 51 and 56 percent of the vote.

But with about one in five French voters expected to make their decision at the last minute, “everything is possible,” as pro-treaty Socialist party (PS) leader Francois Hollande said after casting his ballot in southwest France.

Voter picks up a No ballot before voting. (Reuters)

Rejection of the constitution, which aims to simplify decision-making in the expanded 25-member bloc, would spark a period of deep political uncertainty both in the EU and in France, one of the Union's six founding members.

Other EU countries fear that a French “no” -- the first in the bloc -- would unleash a domino effect across the continent, influencing voters in the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark and Britain to say “no” in future referendums.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair will be forced to shelve the controversial treaty if the French reject it, with leading pro-European allies declaring they will abandon the fight, Britain’s The Guardian newspaper reported Sunday.

The constitution must be ratified by all 25 member states. So far, nine EU countries have approved the treaty -- Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

President Jacques Chirac, who has staked his prestige on approval of the treaty, warned voters that a French “no” would diminish the country's influence in Europe, making it the “black sheep” of the continent.