Algiers: Algeria's incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been re-elected with almost 95 percent of the vote, the country's electoral authority ANIE said Sunday.
More than 5.3 million people voted for Tebboune, accounting for "94.65 percent of the vote," ANIE head Mohamed Charfi told reporters.
ANIE said it only counted the number of voters who cast a ballot for one of the candidates, excluding blank votes.
Tebboune, 78, has been heavily favoured to secure a second term, in the race against moderate Islamist Abdelaali Hassani, 57, who won 3.17 percent of the vote and socialist candidate Youcef Aouchiche, 41, who won 2.16 percent.
While Tebboune's re-election was certain, his main focus was to boost voter participation in Saturday's poll after a record-low abstention rate of over 60 percent in 2019.
More than 24 million Algerians were registered to vote. But it remained unclear how many people in total had turned out to cast their ballot.
ANIE, which extended the vote by one hour on Saturday after reporting an "average" turnout, has yet to give the final rate of participation in the election.
Voters meanwhile expressed hopes that the election would transform things on the ground.
"We want this election to result in a real change... a change for the better," said voter Hassane Boudaoud, 52.
Seghir Derouiche, 72, told AFP that not voting was "ignoring one's right".
Two women, Taous Zaiedi, 66, and Leila Belgaremi, 42, said they were voting to "improve the country".
Ibrahim Sendjak Eddine, a day labourer, said Algerians "are looking for stability, job opportunities, work and housing".
