# Papal voting: what are the criteria? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papal-voting-what-are-the-criteria/300071 "2005-04-19T16:13:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papal-voting-what-are-the-criteria/300071/1 "2005-04-19T16:13:08Z")
One thing that I haven’t seen discussed anywhere about the papal voting procedure is what the criteria are for someone to be elected Pope. Does it require unanimity, or a simple majority, or what? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papal-voting-what-are-the-criteria/300071/2 "2005-04-19T16:59:14Z")
2/3rds on the first 30 or so ballots, a majority thereafter. It used to always be 2/3rds. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papal-voting-what-are-the-criteria/300071/3 "2005-04-19T17:01:27Z")
Thanks. And as a bonus question, what if they don’t elect anyone within the time limit? ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papal-voting-what-are-the-criteria/300071/4 "2005-04-19T17:09:42Z")
I don’t think there technically IS a time limit. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papal-voting-what-are-the-criteria/300071/5 "2005-04-19T17:13:22Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > I don’t think there technically IS a time limit. Huh. Maybe I was thinking of the time limit for the conclave to meet. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papal-voting-what-are-the-criteria/300071/6 "2005-04-19T17:23:30Z")
It’s a moot point, because a Pope was elected this morning, but **Garfield** is correct. The Cardinals stay there until they elect a Pope. Period. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papal-voting-what-are-the-criteria/300071/7 "2005-04-19T17:55:23Z")
And the rule that after 30-some ballots you switch from 2/3 to simple majority was a late amendment, precisely to cut down on the possibility of hung Conclaves. The time limit that does exist is for the Conclave to begin: no less than 15 and no more than 20 days after the death of the late Pope. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papal-voting-what-are-the-criteria/300071/8 "2005-04-19T20:32:41Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Huh. Maybe I was thinking of the time limit for the conclave to meet. I don’t think there is one. Apparently it took something like 2 or so years to elect one pope(though I’m not sure when or who that was). It’s kind of like a trial. You can’t leave until a decision of some sort is made(but in a papal conclave, a hung jury doesn’t cut it). ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papal-voting-what-are-the-criteria/300071/9 "2005-04-19T20:37:14Z")
If I may hijack, what are the criteria that someone must meet to become Pope? Must be a cardinal, I assume? Certain age? anything else? ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papal-voting-what-are-the-criteria/300071/10 "2005-04-19T20:44:12Z")
That has been discussed here repeatedly in the past few weeks; I don’t have the time now to do a search, but if you do you’ll easily find recent threads covering that. You definitely don’t have to be a cardinal to be eligible, although for hundreds of years no non-cardinal has been elected. You have to be male and Catholic, although some say it’s sufficient to be baptized. No age restrictions.