Algerians went to the polls on 2 July 2026 for parliamentary elections held under the shadow of widespread candidate disqualifications, with hundreds of would-be contestants barred from standing. The vote raises questions about political openness in Algeria (North Africa's largest country by area, governed by a military-backed establishment since independence from France in 1962). The outcome is being closely watched as a gauge of public confidence in a system critics say limits meaningful political competition.