On 8 August 2019, Baatour announced his participation to the Tunisian presidential election. Following this announcement, an estimated 650 articles from 120 different countries were written about him, and Baatour built a campaign team with 300 local activists.[7] His political program included the repeal of Article 23, which outlaws homosexuality, from the Tunisian criminal code, as well as gender equality and the protection of the rights of minorities.[8] However, despite collecting nearly double the 10,000 signatures required for his nomination eligibility, the election authority rejected his candidacy without providing serious reasons.[9]