French voters went to the polls Sunday for a second round of local elections that will likely cement gains for the far-right at the expense of the ruling Socialists and lead to a government reshuffle.

Voters went to the polls from 08:00 am (0600 GMT).

The far-right FN also performed better than expected in the first round vote last Sunday.

In the first round, Marine Le Pen's FN took five percent of the nationwide vote -- up from 0.9 percent in the first round of the last municipal polls in 2008 -- despite only being able to field candidates in a minority of municipalities.

Le Pen, who has made strenuous efforts to forge a new, more respectable image for the party founded by her father Jean-Marie, is looking to establish a local base which will allow the party to demonstrate it can be more than an outlet for voters' frustrations.

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