H. Paus Johannes Paulus II - 22 februari 1996
Confirming the dispositions of my Predecessors, Saint Pius X, Vgl. H. Paus Pius X, Apostolische Constitutie, Vacante Sede Apostolica (25 dec 1904), 76 Pius XII Vgl. Paus Pius XII, Apostolische Constitutie, Over de Sedes Vacante en de Pauskeuze (Samenvatting), Vacantis Apostolicae Sedis (8 dec 1945), 88 and Paul VI, Vgl. H. Paus Paulus VI, Apostolische Constitutie, Over de Pauskeuze, Romano Pontifici Eligendo (1 okt 1975), 74 I decree that — except for the afternoon of the entrance into the Conclave — both in the morning and in the afternoon, after a ballot which does not result in an election, the Cardinal electors shall proceed immediately to a second one, in which they are to express their vote anew. In this second ballot all the formalities of the previous one are to be observed, with the difference that the electors are not bound to take a new oath or to choose new Scrutineers, Infirmarii and Revisers. Everything done in this regard for the first ballot will be valid for the second one, without the need for any repetition.
The election is to begin immediately after the provisions of No. 54 of the present Constitution have been duly carried out.
Should the election begin on the afternoon of the first day, only one ballot is to be held; then, on the following days, if no one was elected on the first ballot, two ballots shall be held in the morning and two in the afternoon. The voting is to begin at a time which shall have been determined earlier, either in the preparatory Congregations or during the election period, but in accordance with the procedures laid down in Nos. 64ff of the present Constitution.
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.
Als de stemmingen waarvan bij de nrs. 72, 73 en 74 van deze Constitutie sprake is, geen resultaat hebben, dan dient er een dag te worden besteed aan gebed, reflectie en dialoog; bij de volgende stemmingen hebben met inachtneming van de in nr. 74 van deze Constitutie bepaalde orde, alleen de twee namen die bij de voorafgaande stemming een meerderheid van stemmen hadden gehaald, passief kiesrecht en mag men niet afwijken van de bepaling dat voor een geldige verkiezing, ook bij deze stemmingen, de gekwalificeerde meerderheid is vereist van minstens tweederde van de stemmen van de aanwezige en stemmende Kardinalen. Bij deze stemmingen hebben de twee namen die passief kiesrecht hebben, geen actief kiesrecht.
