How are popes elected by the College of Cardinals?

Popes are elected through a procedure known as a papal conclave, an assembly held in strict seclusion within the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City following the death or resignation of a pope.123

The Electoral Process

• Eligibility: Only cardinals who have not yet turned 80 years old are eligible to vote.143
• Seclusion: To ensure secrecy, the conclave area is sealed off. Cardinals are forbidden from using news media, telephones, or personal computers and must swear an oath of secrecy.53
• Voting: The election is conducted by secret ballot. One ballot occurs on the first day, with up to four ballots held daily thereafter.3
• Threshold: A two-thirds majority is required to elect a new pope.163
• Announcement: Once elected, the new pope chooses his papal name. The result is signaled to the public by burning the ballots; white smoke indicates a successful election, while black smoke indicates no result. The election is formally announced with the Latin proclamation "Habemus papam" ("We have a pope").3