Finnish presidential election, 1940
The presidential election in Finland in 1940 was the fifth election to the presidency in Finland.
The former President Kyösti Kallio from the Land League had announced his retirement in the summer of 1940. Then, met on 27 November 1940, the Electoral College. This consisted of the members of the electoral committee from 1937 and was this time not elected by the people.
The main reason that no election was held by the people, the Soviet intervention was in the internal affairs of Finland. The Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov declared in advance that in an election of a possible unwelcome candidates such as Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Toivo Kivimäki or Pehr Evind Svinhufvud the closed after the winter war peace treaty would lose its validity. Then you did without a code by the people.
Since 1 December 1939 the start of the Winter War, led Risto Ryti from the small liberal National Progressive Party as prime minister called Notregierungen (Cabinet Ryti I and Cabinet Ryti II). With the resignation Kallio him numerous leaders of Finland certified the ability to exercise the office of president. Kyösti Kallio also supported Ryti.
So Risto Ryti could expect a cross-party support. Only a Socialist group openly supported another candidate with Johan Helo.
Ryti was elected with 288 of 300 maximum possible votes. Helo received four votes. Toivo Kivimäki and Pehr Evind Svinhufvud received one vote, six votes were invalid. Risto Ryti was sworn in on December 19, 1940 as the new president. Just a few hours later, his predecessor Kyösti Kallio died at the railway station of Helsinki. New Finnish Prime Minister was Jukka Rangell, also a member of the National Progressive Party.