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Who are the three scrutineers in a papal conclave?
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papal conclave
Cardinals assembled inside the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican Palace for a conclave to elect a new pope; Vatican City, 2005.
In a papal conclave, the three scrutineers are cardinal electors chosen by lot from among the members of the College of Cardinals present in the Sistine Chapel.
Their primary responsibility is to oversee the voting process during the election of a new pope. Specifically, the scrutineers are tasked with collecting the secret ballots from each elector, ensuring the validity of the votes, and counting them to determine if a candidate has reached the required two-thirds majority. They work alongside other designated officials, such as the infirmarii (who collect votes from sick cardinals) and the revisers (who verify the count), to ensure the integrity and secrecy of the election.