Voting within the conclave is a extremely choreographed and extremely scrutinized course of that includes non-electing cardinals — normally churchmen over the age of 80 who’re barred from voting — taking over completely different roles.
9 ballot-officials chosen by the junior cardinal-deacon assist preserve the poll course of truthful and operating easily. They embrace three Scrutineers, who announce and rely the votes; the Revisers, who test the work of the Scrutineers; and three Infirmarii, who acquire ballots from any cardinal too unwell to make it from their lodgings to the Sistine Chapel for the vote.
When it is time to vote, the masters of ceremonies and the secretary of the School of Cardinals should depart the cardinal-electors alone within the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals then proceed to the altar and maintain their ballots aloft beneath Michelangelo’s Final Judgment in order that they are often seen by all current.
Every cardinal kneels for a second of prayer, earlier than rising and saying, “I name as my witness Christ the Lord, who might be my decide, that my vote is given to the one who earlier than God I feel must be elected.” He then places his poll onto the paten, or small plate, from which it’s tipped right into a receptacle formed like a big chalice. The cardinal then returns to his seat.
With all votes solid, the Scrutineers guarantee that the best variety of ballots is current, earlier than giving the urn a shake and transferring the ballots one-by-one to a different urn. If the variety of ballots is off, all votes are instantly invalidated and burned, adopted by one other vote. If the rely tallies, the ballots are then opened and counted.
Seated at a desk earlier than the altar, Scrutineer 1 opens a poll, notes the identify, and passes it on to Scrutineer 2. He additionally notes the identify, earlier than passing the poll to Scrutineer 3, who reads out the identify and marks his personal “scorecard.” Cardinals are allowed to maintain their very own tally, too, however they must be burned with the ballots on the finish of every voting session.
After studying out every poll, the Scrutineers thread the ballots collectively, knotting the tally on the finish of counting. After the ultimate ballots are opened, the Scrutineers tally the votes and write them on a separate sheet of paper.
