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The election of eleven deputies representing the French nationals living outside France was one of the main novelties of the 2012 French legislative elections. By analysing the electoral campaign in the first constituency for French residents abroad (Canada and the United States) this article high- lights the specific constraints which overseas can- didates had to face. It shows that the ways in which candidates in North America tried to mobilise voters were profoundly affected by factors such as the size of the constituency, the weakness of French political parties' organisation outside France or their poor knowledge of the expatriates' characteristics and expectations. The article also demonstrates that through their campaign activi- ties they participated in defining principles that would henceforth shape the realm of French poli- tics in North America.
