Canon 164. Unless it has been otherwise provided in the law, the provisions of the following canons are to be observed in canonical elections.

Nisi aliud iure provisum fuerit, in electionibus canonicis serventur praescripta canonum qui sequuntur.

Canon 165. Unless it is otherwise provided in the law or in the statutes of the college or group, if a college or a group of persons enjoys the right to elect to an office, the election is not to be deferred beyond three canonical months, to be reckoned from the receipt of notification of the vacancy of the office. If the election does not take place within that time, the ecclesiastical authority who has the right of confirming the election or the right to make provision otherwise, is freely to provide for the vacant office.

Nisi aliud iure aut legitimis collegii vel coetus statutis cautum sit, si cui collegio aut coetui personarum sit ius eligendi ad officium, electio ne differatur ultra trimestre utile computandum ab habita notitia vacationis officii; quo termino inutiliter elapso, auctoritas ecclesiastica, cui ius confirmandae electionis vel ius providendi successive competit, officio vacanti libere provideat.

Canon 166. §1 The one who presides over the college or group is to summon all those who belong to the college or group. When it has to be personal, the summons is valid if it is made in the place of domicile or quasi-domicile or in the place of residence.

§2 If someone who should have been summoned was overlooked and was therefore absent, the election is valid. However, if that person insists and gives proof of being overlooked and of absence, the election, even if confirmed, must be rescinded by the competent authority, provided it is juridically established that the recourse was submitted within no more than three days of having received notification of the election.

§3 If more than one third of the voters were overlooked, the election is invalid by virtue of the law itself, unless all those overlooked were in fact present.

§1. Collegii aut coetus praeses convocet omnes ad collegium aut ad coetum pertinentes; convocatio autem, quando personalis esse debet, valet, si fiat in loco domicilii vel quasi-domicilii aut in loco commorationis.

§2. Si quis ex vocandis neglectus et ideo absens fuerit, electio valet; attamen ad eiusdem instantiam, probata quidem praeteritione et absentia, electio, etiam si confirmata fuerit, a competenti auctoritate rescindi debet, dummodo iuridice constet recursum saltem intra triduum ab habita notitia electionis fuisse transmissum.

§3. Quod si plures quam tertia pars electorum neglecti fuerint, electio est ipso iure nulla, nisi omnes neglecti reapse interfuerint.

Canon 167. §1 When the summons has been lawfully made, those who are present on the day and in the place specified in the summons have the right to vote. Unless it is otherwise lawfully provided in the statutes, votes cast by letter or by proxy cannot be admitted.

§2 If an elector is present in the building in which the election is being held, but because of infirmity is unable to be present at the election, a written vote is to be sought from that person by the scrutineers.

§1. Convocatione legitime facta, suffragium ferendi ius habent praesentes die et loco in eadem convocatione determinatis, exclusa, nisi aliud statutis legitime caveatur, facultate ferendi suffragia sive per epistolam sive per procuratorem.

§2. Si quis ex electoribus praesens in ea domo sit, in qua fit electio, sed electioni ob infirmam valetudinem interesse nequeat, suffragium eius scriptum a scrutatoribus exquiratur.

Canon 168. Even if someone has a right to vote in his or her own name by reason of a number of titles, that person may cast only one vote.

Etsi quis plures ob titulos ius habeat ferendi nomine proprio suffragii, non potest nisi unicum suffragium ferre.

Canon 169. In order that an election be valid, no one may be allowed to vote who does not belong to the college or group.

Ut valida sit electio, nemo ad suffragium admitti potest, qui ad collegium vel coetum non pertineat.

Canon 170. If the freedom of an election has in any way been in fact impeded, the election is invalid by virtue of the law itself.

Electio, cuius libertas quoquo modo reapse impedita fuerit, ipso iure invalida est.

Canon 171. §1 The following are legally incapable of casting a vote:

1° one incapable of a human act;

2° one lacking active voice;

3° one who is excommunicated, whether by judgement of a court or by a decree whereby this penalty is imposed or declared;

4° one who notoriously defected from communion with the Church.

§2 If any of the above persons is admitted, the vote cast is invalid. The election, however, is valid, unless it is established that, without this vote, the person elected would not have gained the requisite number of votes.

§1. Inhabiles sunt ad suffragium ferendum:

1° incapax actus humani;

2° carens voce activa;

3° poena excommunicationis innodatus sive per sententiam iudicialem sive per decretum quo poena irrogatur vel declaratur;

4° qui ab Ecclesiae communione notorie defecit.

§2. Si quis ex praedictis admittatur, eius suffragium est nullum, sed electio valet, nisi constet, eo dempto, electum non rettulisse requisitum suffragiorum numerum.

Canon 172. §1 For a vote to be valid, it must be:

1° free; a vote is therefore invalid if, through grave fear or deceit, someone was directly or indirectly made to choose a certain person or several persons separately;

2° secret, certain, absolute and determinate.

§2 Conditions attached to a vote before an election are to be considered non-existent.

§1. Suffragium, ut validum sit, esse debet:

1° liberum; ideoque invalidum est suffragium eius, qui metu gravi aut dolo, directe vel indirecte, adactus fuerit ad eligendam certam personam aut diversas personas disiunctive;

2° secretum, certum, absolutum, determinatum.

§2. Condiciones ante electionem suffragio appositae tamquam non adiectae habeantur.

Canon 173. §1 Before an election begins, at least two scrutineers are to be appointed from among the college or group.

§2 The scrutineers are to collect the votes and, in the presence of the one who presides at the election, to check whether the number of votes corresponds to the number of electors; they are then to examine the votes and to announce how many each person has received.

§3 If the number of votes exceeds the number of electors, the act is null.

§4 All the proceedings of an election are to be accurately recorded by the one who acts as notary. They are to be signed at least by that notary, by the person who presides and by the scrutineers, and they are to be carefully preserved in the archive of the college.

§1. Antequam incipiat electio, deputentur e gremio collegii aut coetus duo saltem scrutatores.

§2. Scrutatores suffragia colligant et coram praeside electionis inspiciant an schedularum numerus respondeat numero electorum, suffragia ipsa scrutentur palamque faciant quot quisque rettulerit.

§3. Si numerus suffragiorum superet numerum eligentium, nihil est actum.

§4. Omnia electionis acta ab eo qui actuarii munere fungitur accurate describantur, et saltem ab eodem actuario, praeside ac scrutatoribus subscripta, in collegii tabulario diligenter asserventur.

Canon 174. §1 Unless the law or the statutes provide otherwise, an election can be made by compromise, that is the electors by unanimous and written consent transfer the right of election for this occasion to one or more suitable persons, whether they belong to the college or are outside it, who in virtue of this authority are to elect in the name of all.

§2 If the college or group consists solely of clerics, the persons to whom the power of election is transferred must be in sacred orders; otherwise the election is invalid.

§3 Those to whom the power of election is transferred must observe the provisions of law concerning an election and, for the validity of the election, they must observe the conditions attached to the compromise, unless these conditions are contrary to the law. Conditions which are contrary to the law are to be regarded as non-existent.

§1. Electio, nisi aliud iure aut statutis caveatur, fieri etiam potest per compromissum, dummodo nempe electores, unanimi et scripto consensu, in unum vel plures idoneos sive de gremio sive extraneos ius eligendi pro ea vice transferant, qui nomine omnium ex recepta facultate eligant.

§2. Si agatur de collegio aut coetu ex solis clericis constanti, compromissarii in sacris debent esse constituti; secus electio est invalida.

§3. Compromissarii debent iuris praescripta de electione servare atque, ad validitatem electionis, condiciones compromisso appositas, iuri non contrarias, observare; condiciones autem iuri contrariae pro non appositis habeantur.

Canon 175. A compromise ceases, and the right to vote reverts to those who transferred it, when:

1° it is revoked by the college or group before it has been put into effect;

2° a condition attached to the compromise has not been fulfilled;

3° the election has been held, but invalidly.

Cessat compromissum et ius suffragium ferendi redit ad compromittentes:

1° revocatione a collegio aut coetu facta, re integra;

2° non impleta aliqua condicione compromisso apposita;

3° electione absoluta, si fuerit nulla.

Canon 176. Unless it is otherwise provided in the law or the statutes, the person who has received the requisite number of votes in accordance with can. 119, n. 1, is deemed elected and is to be proclaimed by the person who presides over the college or group.

Nisi aliud iure aut statutis caveatur, is electus habeatur et a collegii aut coetus praeside proclametur, qui requisitum suffragiorum numerum rettulerit, ad normam can. 119, n. 1.

Canon 177. §1 The election is to be notified immediately to the person elected who must, within eight canonical days from the receipt of notification of the election, intimate to the person who presides over the college or group whether or not he or she accepts the election; otherwise, the election has no effect.

§2 The person elected who has not accepted loses every right deriving from the election, nor is any right revived by subsequent acceptance; the person may, however, be elected again. The college or group must proceed to a new election within a month of being notified of non-acceptance.

§1. Electio illico intimanda est electo, qui debet intra octiduum utile a recepta intimatione significare collegii aut coetus praesidi utrum electionem acceptet necne; secus electio effectum non habet.

§2. Si electus non acceptaverit, omne ius ex electione amittit nec subsequenti acceptatione convalescit, sed rursus eligi potest; collegium autem aut coetus intra mensem a cognita non-acceptatione ad novam electionem procedere debet.

Canon 178. If the election does not require confirmation, by accepting the election the person elected immediately obtains the office with all its rights; otherwise, he or she acquires only a right to the office.

Electus, acceptata electione, quae confirmatione non egeat, officium pleno iure statim obtinet; secus non acquirit nisi ius ad rem.

Canon 179. §1 If the election requires confirmation, the person elected must, either personally or through another, ask for confirmation by the competent authority within eight canonical days of acceptance of the office- otherwise that person is deprived of every right, unless he or she has established that there was just reason which prevented confirmation being sought.

§2 The competent authority cannot refuse confirmation if he has found the person elected suitable in accordance with can. 149 §1, and the election has been carried out in accordance with the law.

§3 Confirmation must be given in writing.

§4 Before receiving notice of the confirmation, the person elected may not become involved in the administration of the office, neither in spiritual nor in material affairs; any acts possibly performed by that person are invalid.

§5 When confirmation has been notified, the person elected obtains full right to the office, unless the law provides otherwise.

§1. Electus, si electio confirmatione indigeat, intra octiduum utile a die acceptatae electionis confirmationem ab auctoritate competenti petere per se vel per alium debet; secus omni iure privatur, nisi probaverit se a petenda confirmatione iusto impedimento detentum fuisse.

§2. Competens auctoritas, si electum reppererit idoneum ad normam can. 149, §1, et electio ad normam iuris fuerit peracta, confirmationem denegare nequit.

§3. Confirmatio in scriptis dari debet.

§4. Ante intimatam confirmationem, electo non licet sese immiscere administrationi officii sive in spiritualibus sive in temporalibus et actus ab eo forte positi nulli sunt.

§5. Intimata confirmatione, electus pleno iure officium obtinet, nisi aliud iure caveatur.