To elect a pope, a candidate must receive a two-thirds majority of the votes from the cardinal electors participating in the conclave. For example, in the 2025 conclave with 133 cardinal electors, this meant at least 89 votes were required to elect the new pope
. Key details about the voting process include:
- Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, typically capped at 120 electors, though this number can be exceeded in exceptional cases
- Voting occurs by secret ballot, with four rounds of balloting each day (two in the morning and two in the afternoon)
- If no candidate achieves the two-thirds majority, the ballots are burned producing black smoke to signal no election yet. When a pope is elected, the ballots produce white smoke
- The process can include pauses for prayer and reflection if voting deadlocks persist
- The two-thirds majority rule is a longstanding requirement reaffirmed by recent popes, ensuring broad consensus for the new pontiff
In summary, to elect a pope, a candidate must secure two-thirds of the votes from the cardinal electors present, which has been formalized as at least 89 votes in recent conclaves with about 133 electors.
