What is the difference between an exit poll, a projection and the final result?

The exit poll is based on surveys of voters immediately after they cast their ballot and is published the moment polling stations close. A projection extrapolates the votes already counted to the country as a whole and becomes more accurate as counting proceeds. The final official result is only confirmed once every vote has been counted and certified by the electoral authority.

Why doesn't a party's vote share match its share of the seats?

Votes are converted into seats under the rules of the electoral system. Electoral thresholds leave small parties without a mandate, while constituencies, rounding methods or additional seats shift the distribution further. That is why a party with less than half of the votes can end up with more than half of the seats.

France France's Parliamentary Election: Results, Seat Distribution, and Coalition Options

Election Winner

Gaullistes

20.6 % of votes

Parties in Parliament

-1 compared to 1956

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Final Official Results of France's Parliamentary Election

The bars show each party's vote share. Results of France's Parliamentary Election Held on 30 November 1958

20.6

CNIP

20.0

PCF

18.9

15.5

MRP

11.1

9.7

UDCA

1.5

UFD

1.2

EXD

1.1

Other

0.4

Government could remain in office

The incumbent governing parties achieved 97.8% of the seats.

Current poll values in the Election Trend

Seat Distribution After France's Parliamentary Election

Total seats

465

Majority

233

Parties

Who Governed France After the Election?

Election Day 30/11/1958 Government formation 39 days Debre 08/01/1959 – 15/04/1962 Pompidou I 15/04/1962 – 06/12/1962

Debre

8 January 1959 – 15 April 1962 · 3 years 3 months

411 of 465 seats

Pompidou I

15 April 1962 – 6 December 1962 · 7 months 21 days

388 of 465 seats

Historical election results at a glance

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Every party in detail: votes, gains and losses

Orientation	Party	Votes	Seats
Right	Gaullistes	20.6 % –	198 –
Right	CNIP	20.0 % –	133 –
Left	Parti communiste français	18.9 % –	10 –
Centre-Left	Parti socialiste	15.5 % –	44 –
Center	MRP	11.1 % –	57 –
Liberal	Parti Radical	9.7 % –	23 –
Far-Right	Poujadistes	1.5 % –	0 –
Left	Union des forces démocratiques	1.2 % –	0 –
Far-Right	Extreme droite	1.1 % –	0 –
Unknown	Other Parties	0.4 % –	0 –

Key Parties in France's Legislative Election

Conservative

Social

Market

Progressive

Your position in comparison

Compare now

Gaullistes Conservative CNIP Conservative Parti communiste français Left Parti socialiste Social Democratic MRP Christian Democratic Parti Radical Conservative Poujadistes Conservative Union des forces démocratiques Social Democratic Show all parties

Party positions compared

France's Legislative Election: A Historical Comparison

1958

20.6 20.0 18.9 15.5 11.1 9.7

1956

4.0 15.0 25.9 15.2 11.1 11.1

1951

21.8 14.0 26.7 14.5 12.5

Historical election results at a glance

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