Finnish presidential election, 1943

Finnish presidential election, 1943

1943

101px Nominee Väinö Kotilainen Risto Ryti Party National Coalition Party National Progressive Electoral vote 4 269

President before election Kyösti Kallio Agrarian Elected President Risto Ryti National Progressive

Indirect presidential elections were held in Finland in 1943. The 1937 electoral college was recalled and re-elected Risto Ryti, who received 269 of the 300 votes. President Ryti was ready to remain in office and to try to lead Finland successfully through World War II. Nevertheless some Finnish politicians believed that Marshal Mannerheim, the Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish army, would lead Finland more effectively. In a test vote, 147 presidential electors out of 300 supported Mannerheim. This plurality was not, however, enough for Mannerheim who required an assured majority of electors to back him for his presidential candidacy. Having failed to receive this majority's support, Mannerheim withdrew his candidacy and Ryti was overwhelmingly re-elected President (see, for example, Antti Laine, "Finland At War" (Suomi sodassa), pg. 723, in Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., A Small Giant of the Finnish History / Suomen historian pikkujättiläinen. Helsinki: WSOY, 2003; Pentti Virrankoski, A History of Finland / Suomen historia, volumes 1&2. Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society (Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura), 2009, pg. 917; Martti Turtola, Risto Ryti: A Life for the Fatherland / Risto Ryti. Elämä isänmaan puolesta. Helsinki: Otava Ltd., 1994, pgs. 267-270).

Results

Candidate	Party	Votes	%
Risto Ryti	National Progressive Party	269	89.7
Väinö Kotilainen	National Coalition Party	4	1.3
Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg	National Progressive Party	1	0.3
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim	Independent	1	0.3
Arvo Manner	Agrarian League	1	0.3
Invalid/blank votes		24	8.0
Total		300	100
Source: Nohlen & Stöver