New Caledonia votes on whether to stay part of France

A woman walks past electoral posters calling for a No vote in the referendum in New Caledonia (Clotilde Richalet/AP)

Voters in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia were casting their ballots on Sunday on whether to break away from France, but pro-independence forces urged a boycott because of the pandemic and what they called unfair actions by the state.

A tropical storm also threatened to dampen enthusiasm for the referendum.