| Country: | Cook Islands |
| Previous Election: | 1999 |
| Next Election: | 2006 |
| Election Date: | 7 September 2004 |
| Seats For Election: | 24 seats in the Parliament |
| Majority Seats: | 13 |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (Cook Islands) |
| Leader1: | Terepai Maoate |
| Percentage1: | 47.36 |
| Seats1: | 14 |
| Last Election1: | 10 |
| Party2: | Cook Islands Party |
| Leader2: | Geoffrey Henry |
| Percentage2: | 43.79 |
| Seats2: | 9 |
| Last Election2: | 11 |
| Party3: | Independents |
| Leader3: | Piho Rua |
| Percentage3: | 6.47 |
| Seats3: | 1 |
| Last Election3: | 0 |
| Prime Minister | |
| Before Election: | Robert Woonton |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (Cook Islands) |
| After Election: | Robert Woonton |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (Cook Islands) |
General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 7 September 2004.[1] Initial results showed the Democratic Party winning by a wide margin,[2] but close results led to 11 electoral petitions being filed,[3] delaying the date Parliament could sit until mid-December. In the interim, Prime Minister Robert Woonton announced that he was forming a coalition government with the rival Cook Islands Party.[4] This led to a split within the Democrats, with Woonton and four other MPs leaving to form the Demo Tumu Party.[5] With 14 MPs, the coalition had a comfortable majority in Parliament.
The results of the electoral petitions saw the seat of Titikaveka change hands[6] while Woonton's seat was a dead tie. Woonton subsequently resigned in order to fight a by-election,[7] causing his government to be dissolved. He was succeeded by his deputy, Jim Marurai.[8]