For Algerian Youth, the Loudest Demonstration of their Political Views is Not Voting at all

Algerian youth will take to the polls on July 2, 2026 to vote and fill the 407 seats in Algeria’s parliament in one of the country’s most contentious elections in history. With a historical backdrop of the Hirak protests in 2019, this vote – the first since the pro-democracy protests – will prove to demarcate where the youth believe that their country’s democracy is headed. For many, this includes whether they have faith in Algeria’s democracy at all.

The Centre for Youth Policy is interested in examining whether young Algerians – that make up roughly 70% of the nation’s population – will either participate or choose to abstain from the upcoming election. The 2021 legislative vote saw a record-low abstention rate for voters: only 23% of eligible voters participated in the election. Now, the fight for voter participation is a cornerstone of upholding hope for Algerian democracy, but abstention is not a passive action in Algeria; often, it is a choice made out of a lack of hope for and trust in the government.

The rise of protests in Algeria

The Hirak protests of 2019 saw mostly young Algerians fill the streets in hope of dismantling the military-backed establishment (le pouvoir) that governed the country since its independence in 1962. The protests occurred over two years, and resulted in the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, but failed to dismantle the great military complex governing the state. In fact, journalists, protesters, and those who engaged in political dissent have been repeatedly imprisoned and disappeared through to today. Thus, the Algerian Hirak did not achieve systemic change in the government, leading to disillusionment amongst Algerian youth and recent democratic backsliding as progress is still sparse.

Nonetheless, what the Hirak did achieve was empowering a young generation of Algerians to use their voice to fight for their rights, freedoms, and democracy. Many young Algerians recognized the potential for progress towards democracy in their nation, and per the Washington Institute, the Hirak tore down a wall of fear that allowed for le pouvoir to govern unchecked.

Abstention as a last resort

Abstention, in the upcoming Algerian election, is a powerful act of defiance. The military system governing sees the outcome of the election as a given, and young voters are fighting that narrative and highlighting an illegitimate vote by refusing to vote altogether. This seems like the only remaining way to undermine the credibility and power of the regime amidst the failure of the Hirak protests and democratic backsliding. Young Algerians refuse to revert to the past, though, exemplifying one famous slogan of the Hirak: “FLN (Front de Liberation National) to the museum.” They demand a change, and the abandonment of past governmental structures that do not serve the needs of the younger generation and impede democratic functioning. The shift that we are seeing in Algeria is away from crowding the streets in protests, and towards emptying the polling booths.

Nonetheless, abstaining from voting, especially en masse, is reflective of an unsuccessful democracy and a major lack of trust in democratic processes such as elections. The authorities in Algeria understand this risk, as one Algerian official quotes that a voter turnout above 35% would be a sign of political normalization. This number is relatively low compared to other democracies, but Algerian officials fear that the polls will not show turnout percentages near a mere 35%, demonstrating the popularity of abstention. Electoral legitimacy is what will drive young people to the polls.

The issues worth voting on

Algeria’s political environment is one of hostility, especially considering the democratic blacksliding that has dimmed young people’s hopes of a genuine potential for democracy. Criminalization of boycotting and protesting have closed off channels that Algerians relied on to exercise dissent, and repeated efforts by the government to handle its own election process have removed a check on the government's ability to remain in power. Economic grievances have compounded political issues, as the cost of living has increased and young Algerians have specifically struggled with unemployment.

Algerian youth have a rational desire for a full-fledged shift in the government, but feel that they are lacking a vessel to achieve that change. Without faith in the electoral process and a recent past of failed protests, Algerian youth have turned to abstention as a means of presenting the extent of their mistrust in the government – and the risk this poses to the state as a whole. The regime fears a lack of participation, as the participation of their largest youth demographic is exactly what they need to call themselves legitimate. The election on July 2 will answer whether change is pursued through an existing system that young Algerians mistrust, or by undermining and refusing to interact with that system entirely.