80% of registered voters did not cast a ballot

1. Introduction

In the elections held on 2 July 2026 in the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Africa’s largest country by area, 407 members of the National People’s Assembly were elected for a five-year legislative term. The National People’s Assembly is the directly elected lower chamber of the Algerian Parliament and consists of 407 deputies elected from 48 electoral districts. The election was conducted under an open-list proportional representation system; under this model, voters may, to a certain extent, indicate candidate preferences in addition to choosing a party or list.

Algeria’s population in mid-2026 is estimated at approximately 48 million. The number of registered voters, including the diaspora, stands at approximately 24.7 million. Around 854,000 of these voters are Algerian citizens residing abroad. The domestic electorate on which the provisional results were based was reported as 23,872,756, while 5,071,020 voters cast ballots. On this basis, provisional overall turnout was approximately 21.24%. The National Independent Authority for Elections, however, announced domestic turnout at 20.79%. Accordingly, this report uses a turnout range of 20–21%.

Of the 407 seats in the National People’s Assembly, 12 are reserved for Algerian citizens residing abroad. Diaspora voting began at Algeria’s diplomatic missions before election day, with overseas voters casting ballots in countries hosting sizeable Algerian communities, particularly France. Turnout nevertheless remained low despite administrative measures such as declaring election day a public holiday in Algeria and extending voting hours.

2. Election Results

According to the provisional results, the National Liberation Front (FLN) finished first with 90 seats. The FLN nevertheless fell short of the 204 seats required for an outright majority in the 407-seat National People’s Assembly. Together with parties regarded as close to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune or as actors operating within the established political system—such as the National Democratic Rally (RND), the Future Front and the National Construction Movement—the FLN forms a broad bloc that retains substantial weight in parliament.

The distribution shown in the table is based on provisional results. Under Algerian electoral law, provisional results are announced by the electoral authority, while final results are proclaimed by the competent constitutional authorities following objections and judicial review. The proclamation of the final results must therefore be monitored separately for the purposes of a definitive legal assessment.

3. Reasons for Low Voter Turnout

The most striking political feature of the 2026 elections was not that the FLN emerged as the leading party, but that turnout remained low. In Algeria, which has a population of approximately 48 million and around 24.7 million registered voters, only about five million voters went to the polls. Although this does not invalidate the election results as a matter of law, it is significant in terms of representative capacity and debates concerning political legitimacy. On the basis of the statistical data, two principal factors may be identified as explanations for the low turnout in the parliamentary elections.

The following table summarises official turnout rates in the principal national elections held before and after the 2019 Hirak movement and the COVID-19 pandemic.

One factor behind the low turnout is the political impact of the 2019 Hirak movement and of the global coronavirus pandemic, which affected 2020 and 2021. Hirak arose in opposition to then-President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s candidacy for a fifth term and, more broadly, to the closed political system; it expressed a demand for a more civilian and accountable form of government. The movement, which brought together various segments of society, was prominently associated with the slogan “A civilian state, not a military state” (Dawla madaniya, machi askariya). Although President Bouteflika’s resignation following the protests marked a political rupture, opposition voters continued to believe that the operation of the system had not undergone a fundamental transformation. Turnout was 37.09% in the last parliamentary election before Hirak and subsequently fell by approximately 6.89 percentage points to 30.20%.

A further central factor is the weight assigned to the presidency within Algeria’s system of government. Although parliamentary elections determine the composition of the legislature, the principal political direction of the executive is set by the directly elected President. Parliamentary elections may therefore not be perceived by voters as a means of directly changing the government and may consequently be regarded as comparatively less important. This is illustrated by the contrast between turnout of 48.03% in the 2024 presidential election and domestic turnout of 20.79% in the 2026 parliamentary election. Such a perception may exert downward pressure on participation, particularly in presidential or semi-presidential systems in which executive authority is strong. Indeed, turnout in presidential elections rose from 39.9% in 2019 to 48.03% in 2024.

Overall, the regular conduct of elections, the institutional character of the results announced by Algeria’s official electoral body and the formation of the new parliament are the principal points of note. APS reported the 20.79% turnout rate as a technical electoral figure. The FLN’s emergence as the leading party in free and transparent elections, the distribution of seats and institutional continuity are also significant. Ultimately, voters’ limited interest in political participation may be attributable to several interrelated factors.

4. Political Positioning of the Main Parties

Algeria’s party system has historically developed around the FLN, which was established in opposition to French colonial rule and represents the founding movement of the state. Over time, it has been joined by statist-developmentalist parties, conservative movements with an Islamic orientation, socialist or secular parties and independent candidate lists. The descriptions below are intended to explain the parties’ general political orientations; internal factions and temporary alliances may alter this broad classification.

Independent candidate lists constitute a form of non-party representation based on local networks, personal standing or social representation outside established parties. The fact that independents, who secured substantial representation in the 2021 elections, obtained only 32 seats in 2026 indicates a marked decline in non-party representation compared with the previous term.

5. Key Takeaways from the Elections

From the perspective of political participation, the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections on separate dates, the President’s extensive powers, and the effects of protest movements and the pandemic may all be regarded as factors contributing to declining voter interest in Algeria.

The 2026 National People’s Assembly elections renewed the legislature within Algeria’s constitutional order. The results do not, however, amount to a direct change of power within the executive. The FLN’s position as the leading party and the combined seat strength of actors operating within the established political system—such as the RND, the Future Front and El-Bina—indicate that the general political direction of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s term continues at parliamentary level.

The FLN’s first-place finish with 90 seats demonstrates that the party retains its historic identity as the state’s founding political movement and its symbolic weight within the state.

6. Algeria’s Political System

Form of State and Constitutional Identity

• Under Article 1 of the Constitution, Algeria is an indivisible, unitary “people’s democratic republic.”
• Article 2 of the Constitution recognises Islam as the state religion. The Constitution does not, however, expressly provide that Sharia is the fundamental or primary source of legislation. Algeria therefore follows a republican constitutional model that recognises Islam as part of its constitutional identity without establishing a legal order directly governed by Sharia.

System of Government and the Executive

• Algeria is a republic governed under a semi-presidential system and administratively divided into 58 provinces and 1,541 municipalities.
• The President is directly elected by the people for a five-year term and is the most powerful actor within the executive. The presidency holds a decisive position with regard to foreign policy, security, defence, senior appointments and the government’s overall political direction.

Legislature

• The Algerian Parliament is bicameral, comprising the National People’s Assembly and the Council of the Nation. Although this structure creates a second balancing mechanism within the legislative process, parliament’s influence over the executive is limited because of the system’s presidential predominance.
• The National People’s Assembly is the directly elected lower chamber. Parliamentary elections principally determine the distribution of seats in this chamber. It is the principal forum of legislative representation for debating and adopting bills, examining the budget, assessing the government programme and scrutinising the executive through questions, committees and general debates.
• The Council of the Nation is the upper chamber. Two-thirds of its members are chosen by indirect election and one-third are appointed by the President. The Council of the Nation is the second legislative chamber, re-examining legislation transmitted by the lower chamber and performing a balancing and constraining role within the legislative process.

Political Party System

• The National Liberation Front (FLN), the party of the struggle for independence, closed all political parties in November 1962 and also brought all forms of organisation under its control.
• Algeria today has a multiparty political system. Nevertheless, the National Liberation Front (FLN) continues to be the strongest party in elections.

Judiciary, Constitutional Review and Electoral Administration

• The National Independent Authority for Elections (ANIE – Autorité Nationale Indépendante des Élections) is the central institution responsible for preparing and conducting elections and announcing provisional results. Objections may be submitted to the Constitutional Court.

References

Current election:

• https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/cezayirdeki-parlamento-secimlerinde-katilim-yuzde-20-79da-kaldi/3984819
• https://news.radioalgerie.dz/en/node/89800
• https://www.aps.dz/fr/elections-legislatives-2026/mr9a1rns-le-parti-du-fln-arrive-en-tete-avec-90-sieges
• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/1/algeria-to-vote-in-test-of-post-hirak-political-landscape
• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/1/algeria-heads-to-legislative-polls-amid-record-low-turnout-fear
• https://apnews.com/article/algeria-algiers-parliamentary-elections-34653095427e8d0a4cae36ade1b2d5c1
• https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Algeria_2020
• https://constitutionnet.org/news/voices/algeria-reform-closing-procedural-gaps-recalibrating-institutional-balances
• https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/algeria-population/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirak_(Algeria)

Previous election results:

• https://www.electionguide.org/countries/id/4/
• https://data.ipu.org/parliament/DZ/DZ-LC01/election/DZ-LC01-E20170504
• https://data.ipu.org/parliament/DZ/DZ-LC01/election/DZ-LC01-E20210612
• https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/voter-turnout-reaches-30-in-algeria-parliamentary-elections/2272118
• https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/voter-turnout-at-48-in-algerias-early-presidential-election/3324534
• https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/algeria-court-confirms-tebboune-re-elected-president-with-8430-vote-2024-09-14/
• https://apanews.net/algerian-legislative-polls-provisional-voter-turnout-at-20-79/

Date of preparation: 9 July 2026
Prepared by: Ahmet Deveci