The qualifications for Speaker of the House are not explicitly stated in the U.S. Constitution, but every Speaker thus far has been an incumbent member of the House of Representatives. However, the Constitution does not require the Speaker to be a member of the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected at the beginning of a new Congress by a majority of the Representatives-elect from candidates separately chosen by the majority- and minority-party caucuses. All candidates for Speaker must be nominated by members of the House, but they don’t need to be elected lawmakers of the House. To be the next Speaker, a person needs a majority of the votes from House members who are present and voting. The Speaker is simultaneously the House’s presiding officer, party leader, and the institution’s administrative head, among other duties. The Speaker also nominates chairs and members of the Committee on Rules and the Committee on House Administration, appoints Speakers pro tempore, and members to House-Senate conference committees, among other appointments.