A total of 26 candidates were on the ballot to replace Beji Caid Essebsi, who was elected president in 2014 with a large turnout of voters eager to exercise that kind of power for the first time. Essebsi, at 92 the oldest leader of a country in the world, died in July. At that time, Mohamed Ennaceur began serving as interim president. He announced that he was not running for president.

Kais Saied Nabil Karoui

Among the familiar names on the ballot were the current prime minister, two former prime ministers, a former president, and the current defense minister. None of them qualified for the runoff. The candidates who received the two highest vote totals were Kais Saied (620,711) and Nabil Karoui (525,517).

Saied is a law professor and a relative unknown in political circles. He campaigned door-to-door and is known to embrace very conservative policies, including the advocacy of a law that punishes unmarried couples for public displays of affection. Another issue that he supports is for citizens to be able to recall their representatives.

Karoui owns a media empire and is currently in jail. The 56-year-old businessman and charity founder has a long career in domestic and international business. His television channel, Nessma, chronicled the 2010 revolution that ended the dictatorship of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. He denies the charges that sent him to detention: money laundering and tax fraud. A court denied his request to be set freed until a verdict is reached; in response, he started a hunger strike to demand his release.

Turnout for the first round of voting was estimated at 45 percent. The runoff will take place in the next few weeks.