Algeria's 78-year-old president is expected to breeze to a second term in Saturday's election

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Polls closed in Algeria on Saturday, where voters were deciding whether to grant army-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune another term — five years after pro-democracy protests prompted the military to oust the previous president after two decades in power.

Tebboune is expected to breeze to victory over two challengers. The real question is voter turnout. To cement his legitimacy, not only does Tebboune hope to win but also to outpace the low voter turnout that marred his first victory in 2019. It’s expected that a second term for Tebboune would further entrench the power of Algeria’s ruling elite.

Though he is expected to be named the winner once the results are finalized, military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on Saturday after voting that he hoped “whoever wins will continue on the path towards a point of no return in the construction of democracy.”

Rather than who wins, the question is how many voters will stay home.

Tebboune’s backers and challengers have all urged voters to come out to cast their ballots after boycotts and high abstention rates in previous elections marred the government’s ability to claim popular support.