July 2 Legislative Elections: Polling Stations Open Across the National Territory

Polling stations across the entire national territory opened their doors at 8:00 AM this Thursday, allowing over 24 million voters to elect members of the Assemblée Populaire Nationale (APN) for a new parliamentary term. The elections are being held under the slogan: "Be an active partner in decision-making... vote and participate."

The voting process is scheduled to conclude at 7:00 PM. However, the President of the Autorité Nationale Indépendante des Élections (ANIE) may, if necessary, delay the closing of polling stations until 8:00 PM at the latest.

The election is conducted through an open-list proportional representation system with preferential voting. Voters must choose only one list and may select one or more candidates within that list, up to the number of seats allocated to their electoral district or geographic area for those voting abroad.

A ballot is considered void if the number of candidates selected exceeds the seats allocated to the district. Conversely, a ballot where the voter has selected a list but no specific candidates remains valid and is counted in favor of the chosen list. Proxy voting is permitted under specific legal conditions, with each proxy holder allowed to represent only one voter.

Immediately following the close of polls, the counting process begins in the presence of candidates' representatives. Provisional results will be announced by the President of ANIE within 48 hours of receiving the counting records. The Cour Constitutionnelle (Constitutional Court) will then deliberate on appeals and announce the final results within 10 days of receipt.

A total of 793 electoral lists, featuring 9,854 candidates, are competing across domestic electoral districts, while 54 lists with 432 candidates are contesting for the diaspora to secure the 407 seats in the APN.

As part of this national milestone, early voting via mobile polling stations for remote and nomadic communities began on Monday, while members of the national community abroad started casting their ballots last Saturday.

The legislative elections are prepared, organized, and managed under the full supervision of ANIE, with the administration providing necessary logistical support. According to the latest exceptional revision of the electoral rolls, the total electorate stands at 24,727,041 voters, including 23,872,756 domestic voters and 854,285 residing abroad.