Polling stations open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. this Sunday, March 15, 2026 in Nice for the first round of municipal elections. More than 228,000 voters are called to the polls to decide between seven lists. The day before the election was marked by a logistical incident related to heavy rains that damaged part of the ballots, which were quickly replaced overnight. The latest polls published in recent weeks provide several indications about the balance of power at stake.
The first round of the 2026 municipal elections takes place this Sunday, March 15, 2026 in Nice. Polling stations open at 8 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. The municipality has 228,006 registered voters called upon to choose between seven candidate lists.
The campaign ends after several weeks marked by the publication of several polls, debates and other events.
According to various polls published by different organizations, Éric Ciotti would come out ahead with approximately 40% of voting intentions compared to 30% for the incumbent mayor, Christian Estrosi. Behind these two lists, the polls show a more open competition. The Unis pour Nice candidacy led by Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux is credited with approximately 13% of voting intentions. This list notably brings together political parties such as the Socialist Party and the French Communist Party. The candidacy of Mireille Damiano, supported by La France insoumise, is estimated at approximately 11% of voting intentions.
Cédric Vella, representative of Reconquête, receives around 5% in opinion polls. The lists led by Céline Forjonnel for Nice Direct Democracy and Estelle Jacquet for Workers’ Struggle appear around 1%.
These estimates suggest several possible scenarios for the second round, with the threshold for advancement set at 10% of votes cast.
An electoral body on the rise
Compared to the previous municipal election held in 2020, the number of registered voters has increased. The city of Nice indicates it has 13,400 additional voters. The electoral body comprises French citizens as well as European Union nationals, who can participate in municipal and European elections.
The municipality’s population has also increased in recent years. According to data published by INSEE in December 2025, Nice has 357,737 inhabitants. These figures correspond to the population as of January 1, 2023, with demographic statistics being published with a three-year lag.
The previous estimate published for 2020, corresponding to the 2017 population, stated 340,017 inhabitants. The municipality thus recorded an increase of 17,720 residents over this period.
Given the lag between demographic statistics and registration on electoral rolls, the available data does not show a massive wave of registrations for these municipal elections.
Damaged ballots then replaced overnight
The day before the election was marked by a logistical incident related to weather conditions. On the morning of Saturday, March 14, part of the ballots intended for the first round was damaged by rain while the Alpes-Maritimes department was on yellow alert for “rain-flooding” between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., with expected accumulations of 50 to 70 millimeters. The city of Nice indicated to the prefecture that 20 to 25% of the ballots had been damaged during their transport between the storage location and certain polling stations.
Faced with this situation, the prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, Laurent Hottiaux asked the voting operations control commission to visit the site to assess the situation. Additional printings were urgently ordered from printers with the agreement of the candidates. Of the 256 polling stations distributed across 87 sites, 145 are not affected by the damage while 111 require partial restocking. The new ballots were delivered overnight to allow polling stations to open at 8 a.m.
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