| Country: | Botswana |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1999 Botswana general election |
| Previous Year: | 1999 |
| Outgoing Members: | 8th Parliament of Botswana |
| Next Election: | 2009 Botswana general election |
| Next Year: | 2009 |
| Elected Members: | 9th Parliament of Botswana |
| Seats For Election: | 57 of the 63 seats in the National Assembly |
| Election Date: | 30 October 2004 |
| Turnout: | 76.20% (0.91pp) |
| Majority Seats: | 29 |
| Image1: | Festus Mogae 2009-06-23.jpg |
| Leader1: | Festus Mogae |
| Party1: | Botswana Democratic Party |
| Last Election1: | 57.15%, 33 seats |
| Leaders Seat1: | None |
| Seats1: | 44 |
| Seat Change1: | 11 |
| Popular Vote1: | 213,308 |
| Percentage1: | 51.73% |
| Swing1: | 5.42pp |
| Leader2: | Otsweletse Moupo |
| Party2: | Botswana National Front |
| Last Election2: | 25.95%, 6 seats |
| Leaders Seat2: | Selebi-Phikwe West (defeated) |
| Seats2: | 12 |
| Seat Change2: | 6 |
| Popular Vote2: | 107,451 |
| Percentage2: | 26.06% |
| Swing2: | 0.11pp |
| Image3: | BCP |
| Leader3: | Otlaadisa Koosaletse |
| Party3: | Botswana Congress Party |
| Last Election3: | 11.90%, 1 seats |
| Leaders Seat3: | Lobatse (defeated) |
| Seats3: | 1 |
| Seat Change3: | 0 |
| Popular Vote3: | 68,556 |
| Percentage3: | 16.62% |
| Swing3: | 4.72pp |
| President | |
| Before Election: | Festus Mogae |
| Before Party: | Botswana Democratic Party |
| After Election: | Festus Mogae |
| After Party: | Botswana Democratic Party |
| Map Size: | 400px |
General elections were held in Botswana on 30 October 2004, alongside local elections. The result was a ninth consecutive victory for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which won 44 of the 57 seats in the National Assembly.
The Independent Electoral Commission had a campaign to encourage voter registration, with a target of registering at 500,000 voters. Although it achieved its target, registering around 61% of the estimated 900,000 voting-age population, the opposition Botswana National Front (BNF) accused it of making errors in the registration process.
For the first time, the election campaign involved parties using billboards. However, the opposition claimed that their media access was restricted, and a study by the Media Institute of Southern Africa showed that the BDP had received over 50% of the election coverage. The BDP campaigned on promises to improve training, expand electricity and water supplies and amend laws that discriminated against women. The campaign of the opposition parties focused on unemployment and poverty. However, although the BNF, Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) and Botswana People's Party (BPP), entered into an electoral pact agreement in 2003, their campaigns were marked by open personal attacks between them and their leaders.
Fifty-six of the 57 constituencies were contested, with Vice President Ian Khama unopposed in the Serowe North constituency.
For the first time, international monitors were able to observe the elections, with delegations from the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, the Commonwealth and the United Nations in attendance. There were 11,000 personnel from the Independent Electoral Commission involved in running the elections.[1]