Like the other 576 French constituencies, it elects one MP using the two-round system, with a run-off if no candidate receives over 50% of the vote in the first round.

François Bayrou, the leader of MoDem, held the seat from 1988 until his defeat by the Socialist Party's Nathalie Chabanne in 2012.

[2] The 2012 election in this constituency attracted media interest as long-serving MP, national political figure and three-time presidential candidate François Bayrou appeared to be facing unprecedented difficulty.

Following Bayrou's personal endorsement of François Hollande for the second round of the 2012 presidential election, however, the UMP withdrew its earlier promise[4] not to stand a candidate against him.

[6] Under French electoral law, in legislative elections, a third-placed candidate may advance to the second round if he or she obtains the votes of at least 12.5% of registered voters.