UPDATE - Voting under way in Algeria snap presidential election

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK; UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Hassan Jibril

ALGIERS, Algerian (AA) - Algerians on Saturday began voting in snap presidential election in which incumbent Abdelmadjid Tebboune is expected to win a second term.​​​​​​​

Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. (0700GMT) and are set to close at 7 p.m.

The North African country has more than 24 million registered voters. Over 800,000 Algerians abroad began voting on Sept. 2.

The Independent National Election Authority said voter turnout reached 4.56% just two hours after polling began.

Election authority chairman Mohamed Charfi told state television that by 10 a.m. 1.07 million voters had cast their ballots.

Meanwhile, overseas voter turnout reached 14.5% by then, with 125,458 ballots cast from abroad.

For comparison, during the December 2019 presidential election, held amid mass protests that led to the ousting of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, voter turnout was recorded at 7.92% by 11 a.m.

Besides Tebboune, 78, Abdelaali Hassani Cherif from the Movement of Society for Peace and socialist Youcef Aouchiche are also competing.

In June, President Tebboune announced the snap election, initially scheduled for December. He claims to represent all Algerians, particularly the youth, middle class and disadvantaged.

Cherif, 58, is the leader of Algeria's largest Islamic party.

Aouchiche, 42, the first secretary of the Socialist Forces Front, Algeria's oldest opposition party that was founded in 1963, represents the leftist opposition.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi