History

The days after the funeral and before the Conclave begins offers the cardinals an opportunity to discuss the state of the Church. They may not do so in a manner which constitutes politicking or electioneering for office or for votes.

“The Cardinal electors shall … abstain from any form of pact, agreement, promise or other commitment of any kind which could oblige them to give or deny their vote to a person or persons” (UDG 81)

However, as Pope John Paul II noted,

It is not my intention however to forbid, during the period in which the See is vacant, the exchange of views concerning the election. (Ibid.)

The Cardinals are likewise forbidden

“to enter into any stipulations, committing themselves of common accord to a certain course of action should one of them be elevated to the Pontificate. These promises too, should any in fact be made, even under oath, I also declare null and void.” (UDG 82).

In the end, despite the human machinations that have accompanied papal elections by emperors, princes and cardinals down through history, the Church declares the validity of the election, leaving to God's Providence, and relying on Christ's promise to Peter (Mt. 6:13-18), the resolution of any earthly difficulties that result. Thus, Universi Dominici Gregis states,

79. If—God forbid—in the election of the Roman Pontiff the crime of simony were to be perpetrated, I decree and declare that all those guilty thereof shall incur excommunication latae sententiae. At the same time I remove the nullity or invalidity of the same simoniacal provision, in order that—as was already established by my Predecessors—the validity of the election of the Roman Pontiff may not for this reason be challenged.

Source: EWTN

Entry. The day on which the Conclave begins is ordinarily to be the fifteenth day after the death of a Pope, the 16th day of the Interregnum. However, the College of Cardinals is given the faculty by Universi Dominici Gregis to defer its beginning “for serious reasons” up to the 20th day after death (21st day of the Vacancy). It must begin on or before that day.

On the morning of the first day on which the Conclave is to begin, the Cardinal Electors gather in St. Peter’s Basilica, or another place as may be determined by the College, to celebrate a Votive Mass for the Election of the Pope.

In the afternoon they gather in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace. Invoking the assistance of the Holy Spirit with the Veni Creator Spiritu, they process to the Sistine Chapel. (For the Conclave of April 2005, they processed from the Hall of Benediction instead, owing to renovations in progress in the Pauline Chapel.) Having arrived at the Sistine Chapel, they make a solemn oath in Latin to observe the prescriptions of the law governing the election, to observe the secrecy obliged, and to not assist any secular power which may try to influence the election. They also swear that if elected they will faithfully carry out the Petrine Office, and protect the spiritual and temporal rights of the Holy See. In both April 2005 and March 2013, the Cardinals permitted the procession and oath to be carried by television and radio.

After the last Cardinal Elector has taken the oath, the Master of Papal Liturgical Ceremonies gives the order “Extra omnes", commanding everyone not authorized to remain in the Conclave to leave the Chapel. Besides the Electors, only the Master of Papal Liturgical Ceremonies and the ecclesiastic chosen beforehand to give a meditation to the Cardinals on the seriousness of their duties, remains. When the meditation has been concluded, both of these men depart the Sistine Chapel.

Voting. After the Cardinals recite prayers provided in the proper Ordo for the Conclave, the Cardinal Dean inquiries if any Electors have questions concerning the norms and procedures. Once these have been clarified, by a majority decision of the Cardinals, the election can proceed.

Only the Cardinal Electors may remain in the Sistine Chapel during the actual voting, which by law is from after the ballots have been distributed until after they have been tabulated and checked. Outside of the time of actual voting, the Secretary of the College, the Master of Papal Liturgical Ceremonies, and the 2 Masters of Ceremonies, are present to assist the Conclave.

On this first day of the Conclave, only one ballot is permitted. On the other days of the Conclave, two ballots are permitted in the morning session, and two are permitted in the afternoon session.

Source: EWTN

During the Pre-Scrutiny, the ballots are prepared and distributed, and 9 Electors are chosen by lot to serve as 3 Scrutineers, 3 Infirmarii, and 3 Revisers.

The Scrutineers are three Cardinal Electors chosen by lot to gather and count the ballots. They stand at the altar as the Electors come up individually to deposit their votes. One of them also collects the votes of those present but who are not physically able to come up to the altar. Afterwards, sitting at a table in front of the altar they tabulate the ballots to determine if an election has occurred.

The Infirmarii are three Cardinal Electors chosen by lot to take ballots to Electors who, although within the enclosure of the Conclave, are too sick to be present in the Sistine Chapel. They take with them a locked box which, having been shown to the other Electors to be empty, receives the votes of the infirm. They return it unopened to the Scrutineers.

The Revisers are 3 Cardinal Electors chosen by lot to check the ballot count and the notes of the Scrutineers to determine if the tabulation of the ballots was carried out exactly and faithfully.

Source: EWTN

After all ballots are in, including those brought from the sick by the Infirmarii, the 1st Scrutineer shakes the receptacle several times to mix the ballots. Then the 3rd Scrutineer counts them, placing them in a second, empty, receptacle. If the number of ballots does not equal the number of electors, they are burned, and a second vote taken immediately. Otherwise, the Scrutineers proceed to tabulate the vote.

Sitting at a table in front of the altar, the 1st Scrutineer silently reads the name on a ballot, passes it to the 2nd Scrutineer who does likewise, and then passes it to the 3rd Scrutineer, who reads the name aloud and then writes it down. Each Elector also writes it down on a sheet provided for this purpose. The ballot is then pierced with a needle through the word eligo (I elect) and placed on a thread for security.

When all ballots have been read, the ends of the thread are tied in a knot and the ballots are placed in a receptacle on one end of the table.

Source: EWTN

The Scrutineers  tabulate the vote count, which they recorded by individuals receiving votes. They do this on a separate sheet of paper from that on which the vote count was first made.  The Revisers  then verify the results.

Source: EWTN

When the Scrutineers have tabulated the results, and the Revisers have verified them, they are announced. A super majority of two-thirds of those actually voting is required to elect, even when the special provisions for a difficult election have been invoked.

No Election

If less than two-thirds of the votes have been cast for the same person, an election has not occurred. If it was the first ballot of the session the Electors proceed to vote again. After the second ballot the ballots of both sessions are burned, whether an election occurs or not.

Election

If two-thirds of the votes have been cast for the same person, an election has occurred. The Scrutineers, with the assistance of the Secretary of the Conclave and the Masters of Ceremony who are re-admitted to the Conclave at this point, proceed to burn the ballots.

Source: EWTN

After the junior Cardinal Deacon has re-admitted the Secretary of the College and the Master of Papal Liturgical Ceremonies, the Cardinal Dean, or, the Cardinal who is first in order and seniority, goes to the one elected and asks,

Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?

By giving consent, the one elected, provided he holds the episcopal order, immediately becomes the Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff. 

If the one elected is not present, he would have to be summoned. If he is not a bishop, he would have to be ordained one before proceeding.

The Cardinal Dean then asks,

By what name do you wish to be called?

The Master of Papal Liturgical Ceremonies, with the witness of the two Masters of Ceremonies (who are now summoned), draw up a document certifying the consent of the one elected and the name he has chosen.

Following certain formalities prescribed in the ritual for the Conclave, each Cardinal comes forward in turn and makes an act of homage and obedience to the new Pope. An act of thanksgiving is then made by all present.

Source: EWTN

Following the vesting of the Pope the senior Cardinal Deacon announces the new Pope from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to those gathered in the Square and listening or watching throughout the world.  Using the example of Pope Francis’ election on 13 March 2013, white smoke having appeared at 7:06 pm from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, the then Proto-Deacon Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran, stepped out onto the loggia at 8:12, and announced,

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum. 
Habemus papam.

Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, 
Dominum Georgium Marium, 
Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Bergolio
Qui sibi nomen imposuit Franciscum.

I announce to you a great joy. 
We have a Pope. 

The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord, 
Lord Jorge Mario, 
Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church Bergolio
who has taken the name Francis.

The newly elected Pope then comes out to address and bless the City and the World (Urbi et Orbi).

Source: EWTN

In the case of difficulty electing, understood as three days of voting without an election, voting is to be suspending for up to, but not exceeding, one full day, to allow prayer and discussion. Voting is then resumed for seven ballots. Such suspensions followed by seven ballots may as necessary unti la pope is elected.

At the time of the election of Pope Benedict XVI the Electors had the faculty to vote to elect by an absolute majority, instead of two-thirds, or, to vote between the two top vote recipients of a previous ballot, with election by an absolute majority (UDG 75), if the election was deadlocked. This provision was revoked, however, by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007, in De Aliquibus Mutationibus. To validly elect, any vote must be by 2/3rds majority.

Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis

UDG 74. In the event that the Cardinal electors find it difficult to agree on the person to be elected, after balloting has been carried out for three days in the form described above (in Nos. 62ff) without result voting is to be suspended for a maximum of one day in order to allow a pause for prayer, informal discussion among the voters, and a brief spiritual exhortation given by the senior Cardinal in the Order of Deacons. Voting is then resumed in the usual manner, and after seven ballots, if the election has not taken place, there is another pause for prayer, discussion and an exhortation given by the senior Cardinal in the Order of Priests. Another series of seven ballots is then held and, if there has still been no election, this is followed by a further pause for prayer, discussion and an exhortation given by the senior Cardinal in the Order of Bishops. Voting is then resumed in the usual manner and, unless the election occurs, it is to continue for seven ballots.

[Revoked by Pope Benedict XVI: UDG 75. If the balloting does not result in an election even after the provisions of No. 74 have been fulfilled, the Cardinal electors shall be invited by the Camerlengo to express an opinion about the manner of proceeding. The election will then proceed in accordance with what the absolute majority of the electors decides. Nevertheless, there can be no waiving of the requirement that a valid election takes place only by an absolute majority of the votes or else by voting only on the two names which in the ballot immediately preceding have received the greatest number of votes; also in this second case only an absolute majority is required.]

UDG 76. Should the election take place in a way other than that prescribed in the present Constitution, or should the conditions laid down here not be observed, the election is for this very reason null and void, without any need for a declaration on the matter; consequently, it confers no right on the one elected.

Source: EWTN