New Caledonia has begun long-delayed provincial elections, with polling stations in the French-ruled Pacific islands under heavy security.
Some 2500 police were deployed to secure and monitor polling stations on election day, which began at 8am on Sunday (7am AEST).
The outcome of the elections, delayed since 2024 after New Caledonia was hit by violent unrest between indigenous Kanaks and French loyalists, is said to be key in shaping future talks with France on the territory's status.
Three independence referendums, including the latest in 2021, returned majorities in favour of remaining part of France but the indigenous people have long sought independence from France
Voters were already queued in a long line outside a polling place at Hotel de Ville in the capital Noumea before the start of voting on Sunday, according to New Zealand public broadcaster RNZ.
New Caledonia, in the southwest Pacific some 1500km east of Australia, is home to around 270,000 people, including 41 per cent Melanesian Kanak and 24 per cent of European origin, mostly French.
Named by British explorer Captain James Cook in 1774, New Caledonia was colonised by France in 1853 and became an overseas territory in 1946. The group of islands has witnessed a decades-long tussle over France's role in its affairs.
Australian Associated Press
