PARIS, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Some 44.5 million French are expected to vote in the presidential elections to take place on April 22, compared with 41.2 million in 2002 presidential elections, local media reported on Tuesday.

    According to AFP, registered voters increased by 4.2 percent between March 2006 and March 2007, with significant progressions recorded within the Ile-de-France area.

    "This is an unprecedented increase for a pre-electoral year since 1981," according to AFP. The increase stood at 3.7 percent in 1981, 1.9 percent in 1988, 2.1 percent in 1995 and 2.3 percent in 2002.

    According to the French interior ministry, the increase in the number of voters is not only attributed to the "attractiveness" of the coming elections, but also to the '"increased number of young people reaching the voting age" and "incentive measures during registration."