Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Independent Juho Kusti Paasikivi National Coalition Indirect presidential elections were held in Finland in 1946.

In 1944 the Parliament had passed a law that enabled Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim to serve a six-year term.

He had been concerned about the possibility of being indicted for abusing his office as the Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish army when approving of Finland's participation in the Continuation War (1941–1944) against the Soviet Union, and in an informal military alliance with Germany.

He was not indicted, but eight leading wartime Finnish politicians were, and Mannerheim stayed abroad, mainly in Portugal, and on sick leave in the Red Cross's hospital in Helsinki from November 1945 to March 1946, to remain on the political background during the "war guilt" trial.

Paasikivi was regarded by many Finnish politicians as the only realistic successor of Mannerheim, given his long diplomatic and foreign policy experience.