All those things that go to make up Dominican life and order it through common discipline belong to regular observance. Chief among these are the common life, the celebration of the liturgy and prayer,Humbertus de Romanis, Opera de vita regulari, ed. J.-J. Berthier (Roma, 1888), vol. I, 153, 170 et 172. Cf. Mt 6, 5–6. keeping the vows, the assiduous study of truth, and apostolic ministry. Cloister, silence, the habit and penitential exercises help us to carry out these effectively.

1. Each year, the respective syndics of a province, a vice-province and a general vicariate must present to their councils accurate and complete accounts of the revenues and expenses, debits and credits of their respective entities, the transactions they have made, and the economic condition of their respective entities; they must also propose budgets or estimates for the following year. Each of these accounts must be approved by the respective council. Furthermore, a syndic must submit his economic report to the superior of the entity each month.
2. Similarly, all regional priors and vicar provincials must send to their prior provincials an accurate report of their economic status, in the manner outlined in paragraph § I. These reports must be approved by their respective councils. 

What has been set out in nn. 477-481 for the election of a regional prior applies also, mutatis mutandis, for the election of a vicar provincial (see n. 389).

The election of a conventual prior must be confirmed by the prior provincial, or by the regional prior if it concerns a brother assigned to a regional vicariate and elected for a convent in that vicariate, unless the statute of the vicariate provides otherwise. (see Appendix, n. 20).

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.