Accessus

Accessus is a term applied to the voting in conclave for the election of a pope, by which a cardinal changes his vote and accedes to some other candidate. Accessus voting was first used in the papal conclave, 1455.[1] The procedure was likely adopted from the Roman Senate where an acceding Senator would physically move to join the proponents of a proposal.[2]

  1. ^ Rotberg, Robert I. 2001. Politics and political change. p. 62.
  2. ^ Josep M. Colomer and Iain McLean. (1998). "Electing Popes: Approval Balloting and Qualified-Majority Rule". The Journal of Interdisciplinary History, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 1–22.