At Stake in this Election:       

• The 57 seats (of 63 seats) in Botswana’s National Assembly

Government Structure:

• Chief of State: President Mokgweetsi MASISI (since April 1, 2018)
• Head of Government: President Mokgweetsi MASISI (since April 1, 2018)
• Assembly: Botswana has a unicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly with 63 seats.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government.

Electoral System:

• The President is elected by indirect vote to serve a 5-year term[1].*
• In the National Assembly, which has 63 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 members are appointed by the majority party, and 2 members, the President and Attorney General, serve as ex-officio members to serve 5-year terms.
• In the House of Chiefs (Ntlo ya Dikgosi), an advisory 35-member body, 8 members are ex-officio members consisting of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 27 non-permanent members, serve 5-year terms, of which 22 are indirectly elected. The 5 remaining members are appointed by the President.[2]

* Generally, it is the person nominated by the party who has the majority in parliament.

Main Candidates in this Election:

• Party: Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)
  • Leader: Mokgweetsi MASIS
  • Seats won in last election: 37
• Party: Umbrella for Democratic Change
  • Leader: Duma BOKO
  • Seats won in last election: 17
• Party: Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF)
  • Leader: Biggie BUTALE
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Alliance for Progressives
  • Leader: Ndaba GAOLATHE
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

Population and Registered Voters:

• Population: 2,304,000 (2019 est.)[3]
• Registered Voters: 824,073 (2014 est.)[4]

Gender Data:

• Female Population: 1,190,000 (2019 est.)[5]
• Is Botswana a signatory to CEDAW: N/A
• Has Botswana ratified CEDAW: Yes (13 Aug 1996)[6]
• Gender Quota: No[7]
• Female Candidates in this election: Yes
• Number of Female Legislators: 6 (9.5%)[8]
• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 101[9]
• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

• Is Botswana a signatory to CRPD: No
• Has Botswana ratified CRPD: No
• Population with a disability: 327,408 (2019 est.)[10]