Pope Francis was elected with at least 77 votes out of 115 cardinal electors, reaching the required two‑thirds majority on the fifth ballot of the conclave.

Quick Scoop

  • The conclave that elected Pope Francis took place in March 2013, with 115 cardinals under age 80 eligible to vote.
  • Church rules in force required a two‑thirds majority of votes to elect a pope, so the threshold in 2013 was 77 votes.
  • Reports summarizing the conclave state that Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) received at least 77 votes on the fifth ballot, crossing that two‑thirds mark.
  • The election concluded on the second day of voting; white smoke appeared after that decisive fifth ballot.

How many votes did it take?

  • Number of electors: 115 cardinals.
  • Majority required: two‑thirds, i.e., 77 votes.
  • What Francis received: sources describe him as having obtained at least 77 votes , meaning he met or slightly exceeded the minimum needed; exact detailed tallies remain secret by conclave law.

In other words, it took a minimum of 77 votes to elect Pope Francis, and he is widely reported to have reached at least that number on the final ballot.

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