Botswana is a parliamentary republic with an executive presidency operating under a multi-party system.[1][2][3] The first president to govern Botswana was Sir Seretse Khama.[4] The country has had 13 formal general elections since 1961, with one happening every five years.[5][6] The recent election was held on 30 October 2024.[7] Each president is limited to two five-year terms; Quett Masire, the second president, created Botswana’s term limit in 1997.[8][9][10][11] The country first adopted universal franchise during the 1965 Bechuanaland general election.[12]
Every election from independence until 2024 was won by the Botswana Democratic Party.[15][16] The President of Botswana is selected after the general election. For this process, the presidential candidate from the political party that wins a majority of the seats is sworn-in as president.[17]
The table below excludes European Advisory Council elections as members were elected by European residents, not citizens of the Protectorate themselves.[18][19] During these elections, Bechuanaland citizens also did not get to participate in the British Administration.[19]