Mohamed Charfi, Chairman of the Independent National Authority for Elections (ANIE), reported Saturday evening that the average turnout in the legislative elections reached 30.20 percent statewide.

Giving effect to policy in legislation, the results of the elections should be announced within 96 hours, according to Charfi, who added that the counting procedure will be "complicated" compared to previous elections.

The polling process in the Algerian legislative elections, which started on Saturday morning, ended after the president of the Independent Authority, at the request of the coordinator of the provincial delegation, pushed the closing hours of the polling stations until 8:00 p.m (Algeria’s Time).

Before the end of the voting, Al-Mayadeen’s reporter stated that the turnout at the polling stations improved in the last hours with the temperature dropping. As the voter turnout in the legislative elections has reached 7% in the first hours of voting, which is a considered a weak percentage, according to ANIE.

After accomplishing his electoral duty, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced after his vote that "there is a high turnout at the ballot boxes”, adding “choosing boycott is a right provided that it is not forced on others. Everyone is free in this country, but in the respect of others." 

Tebboune went on to say that another date will be set for Municipal elections in Algeria.

The elections, which will produce the first parliament under President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, will be the seventh since 1989.

Around 24 million Algerians were eligible to vote to elect their 407 members to the National People's Assembly for a five-year term from 1,483 candidate lists, including 646 political groups and 837 independent candidates.

Algerian Legislative Elections... The Dawn of Change!#Algeria #AlegerianElections#AlegerianElection2021 pic.twitter.com/iEw1N83oEt

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 11, 2021

These elections are considered the first since the popular movement that rose up in Algeria in 2019 to oppose former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s bid to run for a fifth term. After weeks of protests, Bouteflika's office announced that he has ended his 20-year rule.