Algeria presidential election kicks off

Voting began at 8:00 AM local time (07:00 GMT) across the country. To reach remote areas, mobile polling stations were introduced on Wednesday, and voting for those living abroad started on Monday, accommodating more than 800,000 Algerians overseas.

The National Independent Authority for Elections is responsible for overseeing the electoral process, providing regular updates throughout the day until the polls close at 8:00 PM local time (19:00 GMT).

Three candidates are vying for the presidency: the incumbent 78-year-old President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, running as an independent with significant backing; Abdelaali Hassani Cherif, 57, leader of the Movement of Society for Peace; and Youcef Aouchiche, 41, secretary general of the leftist Socialist Forces Front.

This election follows Tebboune’s decision to move the presidential polls up from their traditional December schedule to an earlier date, which he attributed to “purely technical reasons.”