Centrist presidential candidate Francois Bayrou is welcomed by supporters during a political meeting in Rouen, west of Paris, on Friday. (Francois Mori/Associated Press)

The 12 candidates in France's most contentious presidential elections in years took a break from campaigning on Saturday, a day before the vote.

Voters have what's called a "day of reflection," in which campaigning is barred, along with the publication of election-related opinion polls and any statements from the candidates.

Of the 12 candidates, only four have a realistic chance to make it through to a runoff round of voting to be held on May 6.

Recent polls have put right-of-centre candidate Nicolas Sarkozy in the lead, followed by Segolene Royal, who heads the Socialists. Centrist Francois Bayrou is third in the polls, followed by far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Le Pen shocked France in the last election in 2002 by eliminating Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin in the first round and going through to a runoff which he lost to Jacques Chirac, who is not seeking a third term.

While more than a third of voters are said to be undecided, voter registration is up for this election, especially in some of the poor city suburbs, where riots raged in 2005.

Most surveys suggest Sarkozy doesn't stand a chance of gaining votes in many of those suburbs after after he famously labelled the rioters "scum."

Ahmed El Keiy, host of a call-in show on Beur FM, a radio station that plays their music and debates their issues, said that lately, the talk has been all about the election.

He told CBC News he believes the effort to register voters in the rough suburbs that ring Paris and other cities has worked.

Not only have they signed up, El Keiy said he's certain they will go in their thousands to the polling stations on Sunday.

"Now they'll be voting massively in the next presidential elections because they discovered that it was the only way in a democracy to put pressure on the political leaders to resolve their problems."

Many who have signed up are young men who vividly remember the riots of 2005 in their neighbourhoods.

A 19-year-old who will only give his name as Mafiaboy said he is hoping life will improve.

"We're voting for change in our neighbourhood," he said. "That's part of the reason. There's no youth centre, no jobs, nothing to do. What's going to happen to our little brothers? Are they going to be dropouts just like us?"