The length of a papal conclave is not fixed and can vary widely because there is no formal time limit for how long it can take. The cardinal electors continue voting until a candidate receives a two-thirds-plus-one majority

. Historically, conclaves have ranged from very short to extremely long durations:

• The shortest conclave on record lasted about 10 hours in 1503

• The longest conclave lasted nearly three years (1,006 days) from 1268 to 1271, when Pope Gregory X was elected. This marathon conclave led to the practice of locking the cardinals "under lock and key," which is where the term "conclave" originates

• In the 20th century and recent history, conclaves have been much shorter, typically lasting between two and five days. For example, Pope Francis was elected after two days and five ballots in 2013, and Pope Benedict XVI after two days in 2005

The voting process generally involves up to four ballots per day after the first day, with breaks for prayer and discussion if no decision is reached after several days. If no pope is elected after multiple rounds, the process may include pauses and even a runoff between the top two candidates

. In summary, while the conclave can theoretically last indefinitely, modern conclaves usually take just a few days to elect a new pope, with historical extremes ranging from hours to nearly three years.