A pope needs a two-thirds supermajority of the cardinal electors' votes to be validly elected. The cardinal electors are those under the age of 80, and their number is usually limited to 120, though it can vary slightly

. Key details about the voting process include:

• Each cardinal elector casts a secret ballot.
• Voting occurs up to four times a day (two in the morning and two in the afternoon).
• If no candidate receives the two-thirds majority, the ballots are burned with chemicals producing black smoke, signaling no pope has been elected yet.
• When a candidate receives the two-thirds majority, the ballots are burned producing white smoke, signaling the election of a new pope

• If the total number of electors is not divisible by three, an additional vote is required to reach the two-thirds majority

• Historically, there was a brief period when a simple majority could suffice after many ballots, but this was reversed by Pope Benedict XVI, reinstating the two-thirds majority as the standard to ensure broad consensus

In summary, the number of votes needed depends on the number of cardinal electors present but is always a two-thirds majority of the votes cast. For example, if there are 120 electors, a candidate would need at least 80 votes to be elected pope.