Algeria presidential election sees low turnout as Tebboune poised for victory

Less than half of Algeria's eligible voters cast a ballot in the country's presidential poll, preliminary figures from electoral authorities showed early Sunday, despite incumbent Abdelmadjid Tebboune's hopes for a high turnout. More than 24 million Algerians were registered to vote this year, with about a third under the age of 40.

Electoral board ANIE announced early Sunday an "average turnout" rate of 48 percent, but did not provide the total number of people who cast a ballot. The announcement came three hours behind schedule after the election board said on Saturday evening that it was extending voting by one hour, expecting more voters to show up.