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Originally Posted by bendsley
Except in special circumstances, a papal candidate must receive two-thirds of the vote plus one to be elected the next Pontiff. Four ballots are taken each day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon, until a vote is successful.
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It'd be interesting to be a fly on the wall of the Sistine Chapel for this. Can you imagine the kind of canvassing that must go on between votes? This is, for all intents and purposes, the election of the sovereign of the catholic church and the Holy See, as well as Vatican properties around the world. It's analogous to electing a king. Even more, this person is going to set the moral tone for a faith followed by hundreds of millions of people. So you better believe it's a political question as well as a religious one.
I remember seeing video of the white smoke when JP2 was elected.