France votes in parliamentary election in vital test for Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron at the voting booth in Le Touquet, northern France (Ludovic Marin/AP)

French residents are voting in a parliamentary election as President Emmanuel Macron seeks to secure his majority while under growing threat from a leftist coalition.

More than 6,000 candidates, ranging in age from 18 to 92, are running for 577 seats in the National Assembly in the first round of the election. Those who receive the most votes will advance to the decisive second round on June 19.