According to the information conveyed by Algerian official television, the Independent National Election Administration (ANIE), which administers the elections, announced that 30.2 percent of more than 24 million registered voters across the country and abroad voted by going to the polls.
ANIE announced that the vote-counting process started after the polls were closed. According to the figures shared by ANIE during the day, it is noteworthy that the participation rates are lower in the northeastern and eastern regions, where the Berber population is densely populated.
For the seventh parliamentary elections in Algeria, 61,543 ballot boxes were planned to remain open until 18:00 in 13,000 polling stations across the country. However, due to the low turnout rate, the voting process was extended by two hours.
More than 22,000 candidates, including 10,468 from 28 political parties and 12,086 from independents, competed for 407 seats in the lower house of the parliament.
It was stated that due to the “open list” election system in Algeria, where voters can choose the order they want from the candidate lists, the vote-counting process and the announcement of the results may take a long time.
In a press conference held during the day, ANIE President Mohammed Charfi said that since the vote-counting process will be “complex” compared to previous elections, the announcement of the official results may “reach the 96-hours limit” stipulated by the law, but that they will work to complete the process as soon as possible.
Experts expect the formation of a multi-part structure, in which independents also participate, where pro-regime entrenched parties lose power and Islamic-oriented parties increase their votes.
Stating that the regime will not allow the absolute superiority of a certain party with the electoral system introduced by the regime, the researchers state that the coalition government to be formed after the election will clarify the picture regarding the future of the country.
