Papal conclave 2025: What is the voting process to choose the new Pope?

Papal Conclave 2025: Cardinals gather in Sistine Chapel to elect 267th pope after the death of Pope Francis, with process shrouded in secrecy and tradition.

Following Pope Francis’ death on April 21, 133 cardinals from around the world will convene within the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on Wednesday (May 7, 2025), to elect the next pope in the Papal Conclave 2025. As it chooses the 267th pope, this momentous occasion represents a major change for the Catholic Church.

With the world’s attention focused on Rome, there is widespread conjecture about the top candidates, how this covert process will proceed and who might become the future spiritual leader of more than 1.3 billion Catholics throughout the world.

Voting begins with a morning Mass, followed by an afternoon entry into the Sistine Chapel. The chapel is then sealed to ensure that only the electors and essential staff remain, cut off from the outside world.

Cardinals cast a single vote on the first day. Two ballots are held in the morning and two in the afternoon starting on the second day.

On a piece of paper, each vote is scribbled with the words Elijo como Supremo Pontífice, which translates to “I elect as Supreme Pontiff,” and the name of the candidate. After being folded, ballots are then taken to the altar and placed in a chosen urn.

Each vote is counted and read out by three scrutineers, who are randomly selected cardinals. Ballots are burned in a stove after being stitched together with a needle. The outcome is shown by the colour of the smoke signals coming from the chapel chimney: white smoke indicates a successful election, while black smoke indicates no decision.

To win, a candidate must get a two-thirds majority - at least 89 votes out of 133.