As of February 2026, there are 121 cardinals eligible to vote in a papal conclave.

Why 121 cardinals?

  • The voting body is drawn from the College of Cardinals , the group of all cardinals worldwide.
  • Only cardinals under the age of 80 at the moment the papacy becomes vacant are allowed to vote in a conclave.
  • An older rule spoke of a maximum of 120 electors , but recent popes have effectively treated this as a guideline, sometimes creating more than 120 under‑80 cardinals.

Current official numbers

  • As of 19 February 2026, the College of Cardinals consists of 244 cardinals in total.
  • Of these, 121 are under 80 , meaning 121 would have the right to vote in the next conclave, assuming none loses that right beforehand.

A bit of recent context

  • The 2025 conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV had 133 cardinal electors , the largest number ever to actually enter a conclave and vote, surpassing the older “120” guideline.
  • This shows that in practice, the real determinant is “under 80 and still a cardinal,” not a hard numerical cap.

So if a conclave were held today, the answer to “how many cardinals will vote in the conclave” is: 121 voting cardinals , barring any last‑minute changes like deaths, resignations, or new appointments that shift the under‑80 count.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.