The French flocked to the polls on Sunday to vote on the European Union's first constitution, with final opinion polls pointing to a "No" that could kill a charter intended to ensure the smooth running of the enlarged bloc. With three hours to go before the last polling stations close, 66.24 percent of registered voters had already cast their vote, the Interior Ministry said. That was nearly 10 percentage points up on the turnout at the same time of the day during the 1992 referendum on the Maastricht Treaty on closer EU integration, in which 69.69 percent of voters finally cast their ballot. Analysts are split on which camp could benefit from a high turnout. The last surveys put the "No" camp clearly ahead, with up to 56 percent expected to vote down the treaty at the end of a heated campaign that divided France and became a debate on the government's economic record as well as the future of Europe. A beaming President Jacques Chirac, wearing a grey suit, shook hands with voters before casting his ballot with his wife, Bernadette, in the small central town of Sarran. --more 2234 Local Time 1934 GMT
