Emmauel Macron set to become the youngest President of France

The Latest on France's presidential runoff Sunday between centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

Voter turnout in France's presidential runoff is above 65 percent in late afternoon, a sharp drop of more than 6 percent compared to the last presidential vote.

The Interior Ministry announced Sunday the turnout had reached 65.3 percent, compared to 71.96 percent in the second round of presidential voting in 2012.

Going into Sunday's runoff, centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron had a large polling lead over far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

The last polling stations in France close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) and partial results are expected shortly afterward.

A brief election-day security scare at the Louvre Museum in Paris has barely ruffled tourists and locals.

Russian tourist Ksenia Simonova told The Associated Press "there is no more of a security problem in Paris than elsewhere. I come from Moscow and the risk is the same. There are a lot of police officers here. I am not afraid."

Frenchman Eric Kadio came to the park near the Louvre in hopes of seeing presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, who's expected to speak to supporters from the Louvre courtyard after election results come in later Sunday.

Kadio says "France has an efficient security operation. I am not afraid. Bomb scares are frequent and each time they get things under control."

Police evacuated the Louvre courtyard Sunday because of a suspicious bag but later reopened it.

Macron, a centrist, is facing far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in Sunday's presidential runoff.

If he defeats Marine Le Pen in France's runoff election, 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron will become the country's youngest president of all time, erasing Louis Napoleon Bonaparte's record.

After the 1848 French Revolution and the proclamation of France's Second Republic, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte - Napoleon's nephew - won the first presidential election at the age of 40. He then staged a coup and ruled as emperor under the name Napoleon III.

Macron has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of French politics. The former banker served as the country's economy minister under outgoing President Francois Hollande, but has never held elected office. He launched an independent political movement, called En Marche, only a year ago.

However, Macron would not beat all records for precociousness, if he succeeds Hollande as president. France's King Louis XIV was just 4 years old when he started his rule back in 1643.

Thousands of French citizens who live and work in the United Kingdom are voting in 11 cities in Britain, making their choice between centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen.

London has been described as France's "sixth-biggest city," and French voters in the British capital had two polling stations to choose from. One was the private Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle school.

Sylvie Bermann, the French ambassador to the U.K., was among the voters casting their ballots on Sunday morning.

France's Interior Ministry says the voter turnout in the country's presidential runoff election so far is running slightly lower than it was in 2012.

The ministry said as of midday Sunday that 28.23 percent of eligible voters had cast ballots, compared with the 30.66 percent half-day tally during the last presidential runoff five years ago.

Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron was considered the front-runner going into the runoff.

But commentators think a low voter turnout would benefit far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, whose supporters are seen as more committed and therefore more likely to show up to vote.