For those who have asked:
- A 2/3 majority is required to elect a pope. All the time. No exceptions. (During the conclave that elected Benedict, the first few ballots were 2/3 and then the threshold dropped to a simple majority.)
- There are four rounds of voting on any given day the cardinals are voting. Two in the morning and two in the afternoon. White smoke will come immediately after any ballot that produces a pope. Black smoke, though, only comes after every two ballots — once after the morning rounds, once after the afternoon rounds.
Here’s what the Vatican Press Office issued a few days ago which explains this in more detail: Continue reading Electing a pope: The voting rules explained
