Less than half of Algeria’s eligible voters cast their ballots in Saturday’s presidential election, according to preliminary figures released early Sunday by the country’s electoral authority, ANIE. The turnout rate was reported at 48 percent, falling short of incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s hopes for a high voter turnout.
Tebboune, 78, is widely expected to win a second term, facing two challengers: moderate Islamist Abdelaali Hassani, 57, and socialist Youcef Aouchiche, 41. His main challenge, however, was to improve voter participation following the 2019 election, which saw a historic abstention rate of over 60 percent.
With more than 24 million Algerians registered to vote, including many young voters, the preliminary turnout figure disappointed observers. The election board has yet to release official results and a final turnout rate.
ANIE extended voting by one hour on Saturday evening in a last-minute effort to encourage more people to cast their ballots. Despite calls from all candidates for strong voter participation, many Algerians questioned the significance of voting, with predictions heavily favoring Tebboune’s victory.
The final results and official turnout figures are expected later on Sunday.
