1. The election is held according to the manner indicated in n. 452.
2. In convents where several socii are to be elected (see n. 490, § II), they are to be elected one after the other.
3. For each election, if by the third ballot no candidate has been given a clear majority of votes, in the fourth and last ballot the candidates are reduced to two: those who have received the most votes in the previous ballot, with due regard for n 450, §III.

I. The consultation of the voters shall be done by means of a letter which each of them shall send to the prior provincial, containing three names in order of preference.

II. The prior provincial shall appoint as vicar provincial one of the three who received the greater number of votes, unless he judges it to be more conducive to the Order’s good to appoint another brother.

For the election of delegates attending a general chapter of diffinitors or priors provincial, all the brothers of the houses under the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Order are to be grouped together by the general council to constitute elective colleges (according to whether one or two delegates for each chapter have to be elected). Each of these colleges should have at least twenty-five voters. The general council shall lay down how this election is to be conducted.

Each province which has at least twenty-five brothers assigned in vicariates or houses of the province outside the boundaries of the province has the right to send one delegate elected from and by those brothers according to the statute of the province to a general chapter either of diffinitors or priors provincial. An arrangement shall be made by the Master of the Order with his council so that half of the provinces shall be represented in one chapter and the other half in the next.

The following are assembled and have votes in a general chapter of diffinitors:

1. the Master of the Order;
2. ex-Masters of the Order;
3. diffinitors elected by each province;
4. delegates elected by each vice-province and general vicariate;
5. delegates of other vicariates, chosen in accordance with n. 409-bis, but excluding regional priors and vicars provincial;
6. one delegate from among the brothers assigned to houses under the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Order if the total is less than one hundred, two if the total is one hundred or more, elected in accordance with n. 409-ter.

For the election of delegates to an elective general chapter, brothers from houses convents under the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Order are to be grouped by the general council into two or three electoral colleges, depending on the number of delegates to be elected. Each college must have at least twenty-five voters. The general council will also lay down how this election is to be conducted.

For the election of delegates to an elective general chapter, brothers from houses under the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Order are to be grouped by the general council into two or three electoral colleges, depending on the number of delegates to be elected. Each college must have at least twenty-five voters. The general council will also lay down how this election is to be conducted.

The following assemble and have voice in a general elective chapter: 

1. In the election of a Master of the Order:
   1. ex-Masters of the Order;
   2. all priors provincial;
   3. from each province, the diffinitor of the general chap­ter;
   4. vice-provincials;
   5. a socius of the diffinitor of a general chapter from each province which has at least one hundred professed religious, excluding, however, those who are assigned in vicariates and those directly assigned to houses under the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Order;
   6. a socius of the prior provincial attending a general chapter from each province which has at least four hundred professed religious, excluding, however, those who are assigned in vicariates, and those directly assigned to houses under the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Order;
      7. a delegate from each province which has between twenty-five and one hundred brothers assigned in vicariates or houses of the province outside the boundaries of the province, the del­egate shall be elected from among the brothers and by them according to the provincial statute; furthermore, from each province which has between 101 and 200 brothers assigned in vicariates, a second delegate shall be elected, and so on.
      8. from among brothers directly assigned to houses un­der the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Order, two delegates if they total fewer than one hundred, three delegates if they total one hundred or more, chosen as laid down in n. 407-bis.
2. In matters to be dealt with after the election of the Master:
   1. the newly elected Master of the Order;
   2. ex-Masters of the Order;
   3. all those mentioned in § I, 2-68;

1. It is the task of the provincial council or the re­gional council to determine for each electoral college whether the voters must come together specially to hold the election or vote by post.
2. If the election is to be held in a special assembly:
   1.  the president and place of the election shall be deter­mined by the provincial or regional council;
   2.  in the actual election, nn. 452 and 494, § III shall be observed;
   3.  after the election of a delegate, provision shall be made in the same manner for electing a substitute in case of neces­sity.
3.   If, however, the voters cannot gather together con­veniently, it is held according to the following norms:
   1. each voter shall write his vote on a ballot-paper and send it in a double envelope to the prior provincial or regional prior in accordance with n. 480, § III;
   2. when the time fixed for receiving ballot-papers has elapsed, the prior provincial or the regional prior with his council shall carry out the count according to the norm n. 480 § IV, 1-4;
   3. if the majority required for election is obtained, all voters shall be informed by letter of the result of the election;
   4. if, however, an absolute majority is not obtained in the first ballot, the provincial or regional prior with his council shall proceed according to n. 480, § IV, 6, and 7. In the final ballot, whether it is the second (n. 6), third or fourth (n.7), only those two may be presented who achieved the greater number of votes in the preceding ballot, and n. 450, § III must be observed.
   5. in the event of a delegate being incapacitated, the substitute shall be the one who in the final ballot obtained the second highest number of votes, and n. 450, § III, must be observed.

When a vicar provincial is to be appointed by the prior provincial, the brothers, who, in accordance with n. 478, would have active voice in the election, shall first be consulted (see Appendix n. 25).