Two votes are taken in the morning and another two taken in the afternoon, and when the balloting is unsuccessful, the two morning or two afternoon ballots are burned together, Lombardi explained.

Lombardi said there is a maximum of two smoke signals a day.

The first smoke signal can be expected about 7am Wednesday (NZ time), then beginning Wednesday, smoke would be expected at about midnight and again about 7am

However, if a pope is elected on the first ballot of the morning (Rome time), the white smoke would billow forth between 10:30pm and 11pm.

If he is elected on the first ballot of the afternoon, the white smoke would be seen between 5:30am and 6am.

After a white smoke signal, it takes about 40-45 minutes before the announcement of the name of the candidate who won.

Before appearing on the traditional balcony, the person must accept the office, change to white vestments and then the cardinals pledge their obedience and pray again.

Source

• CNS
• CTV News (Image)

A mixture of smoke signals, and a new stove, blacked out windows, and high-tech electronic jamming devices, are all being used.

While the Vatican has not given details of electronic jamming and surveillance equipment it has released pictures from inside the Chapel showing the installation of a new stove which sends out the coloured smoke.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi confirmed one stove is used to burn the cardinals' ballots after they are cast and the other to send up the smoke signal; black smoke indicating the need for another vote, or white smoke informing onlookers cardinals have elected a new pope and the person has accepted the position.

Lombardi, laughed off concerns about working out whether the smoke was black or white, saying that some "suspense" was all part of the beauty of the process.

"We're not going to send out txt messages or SMS messages, you'll have to come and see," another Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Thomas Rosica, said.

If the smoke is released after dark, a spotlight will be trained on the chimney so that it can still be seen, Lombardi said Saturday.

Lombardi also confirmed that in order not to cause too much excitement, the stove will be tested privately before the conclave to make sure it can produce the right coloured smoke.

Although no clear favourites have emerged to take over the leadership of the 1.2-billion-member Church, the conclave is expected to be completed within just a few days.

There's "no reason to believe it will take long" to have a new pope Lombardi said.

Recent papal elections have not been long; both Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II were elected after two days.

Sources

• Huffington Post
• CNN