French presidential election referendum, 1962

A referendum on the direct election of the President was held in France on 28 October 1962. The question was whether to have the president of the French Republic elected by direct popular vote, rather than by an electoral college. It was approved by 62.3% of voters with a 77.0% turnout. However, the reform was controversial because it strengthened the executive at the expense of Parliament, and because of the disputed constitutionality of the procedure used.

In the Third and Fourth Republic, Parliament elected the President of the Republic. In the original 1958 constitution of the Fifth Republic, the president was elected by an electoral college, in a manner similar to the senators: electors were the members of Parliament, members of the departmental assemblies, and representatives of cities, towns and villages (such as mayors).Charles de Gaulle was elected in this manner in the 1958 presidential election.

The presidential office in the Third and Fourth republic was largely ceremonial, with most executive power vested in the "president of the Council of ministers" (short: "president of the Council" or président du conseil), a more powerful analogue to the present-day Prime minister. Charles de Gaulle, who largely designed the constitution of the Fifth Republic, wanted a more powerful presidential office. The proposed change would have the president elected by the two-round system of voting; This direct election by more than half of the non-blank ballots directly cast by the citizenship would give the office much more legitimacy and status than indirect election by the presidential college, thus greater influence even with unchanged constitutional powers.

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