Rome (CNN) -- Black smoke poured from the chimney fixed to the roof of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday morning, indicating that the cardinals' first two votes of the day were inconclusive.
The 115 voting cardinals are taking part in the second day of the secretive conclave to elect a new pope.
Read how the day will unfold
They will have two more opportunities to vote later Wednesday.
A two-thirds majority is required to confirm a new pontiff to step into the shoes left empty by the historic resignation of Benedict XVI at the end of last month.
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White or black smoke?
No smoke emerged after the first vote Wednesday morning, meaning the cardinals then entered a second round of voting.
The black smoke that poured from the chimney at 11:39 a.m. (6:39 a.m. ET) indicated that no result came from that second ballot, either.
The cardinals have now gone to lunch in the Vatican hotel where they are staying. While away from the Sistine Chapel, they are able to have informal conversations and mull their options.
The smoke came somewhat earlier in the day than expected Wednesday because once the cardinals are familiar with the voting procedures, they can move relatively quickly, according to the Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Vatican spokesman.
Interactive: Selecting a pope
However, that does not mean they are moving rapidly toward a decisive vote.
The cardinals will go back into the Sistine Chapel, famed for its frescoes by Michelangelo, for a second round of balloting at 4 p.m. (11 a.m. ET), and all eyes will then return to the chimney.
Three ballots have been held so far.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi told reporters that the inconclusive results so far were not unexpected, based on the number of ballots held in past conclaves.
Rosica added, "This is normal and one should not interpret this as division amongst the cardinals."
Abuse claims
In response to a question about criticism leveled against some cardinals by a group representing the victims of clerical sex abuse, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, the Vatican spokesmen defended their right to take part in the conclave.
"We are very well of SNAP and their activities," Rosica said. "SNAP have chosen this event to amplify their activities."
The cardinals named by SNAP "are worthy of our esteem," he said.
Last week, SNAP released its "Dirty Dozen" list of men it judged would be the worst candidates for pope because of their handling of, or comments on, past allegations of child sex abuse against clergy.
The scandal has shaken global confidence in the church in recent years, and dealing with it effectively is sure to be a priority for the new pope.
Peal of Vatican bells
The cardinals will conduct four votes a day for three days, Lombardi said, with a break likely on Saturday if no one has been elected by then. The day's pause would allow the cardinals time for further discussions before they cast their ballots again.
Two stoves are set up in the Sistine Chapel especially for the votes. The ballots are burned in one, while special cartridges containing a mix of chemicals are released in the other to make the color of the smoke more obvious, either black or white, Rosica said.
The cartridges produce smoke for about seven minutes, he said.
If a pope has been elected, the cardinals burn the ballots immediately. If not, the cardinals hold on to them and proceed to a second round of voting.
They burn the ballots from both rounds together after the second round.
Conclave: Spiritual & world concerns 
Cardinals once took 3 years to name pope Conclave timeline 9:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. ET)
Cardinals start to vote
10:30 a.m. (5:30 a.m. ET)
If a pope is elected in the first morning ballot, there will be white smoke
12 p.m. (7 a.m. ET)
If they elect a pope in the second morning ballot, white smoke will appear
12 p.m. (7 a.m. ET)
Lunch break as cardinals return to Santa Marta
4 p.m. (11 a.m. ET)
Cardinals return to the Sistine Chapel and resume voting
5:30pm (12:30 p.m. ET)
If a pope is elected in the first afternoon ballot, there will be white smoke
7p.m. (2 p.m. ET)
If they do not elect a pope in the afternoon session, there will be black smoke
In the past, discerning the color has been difficult at times, as it has appeared gray. But there is a second, unmistakable sign: If the smoke is indeed white, the Vatican church bells ring to celebrate the choice.
Possible papal contenders
This can happen after a short delay, as was the case when the white smoke went up to signal the election of Benedict XVI.
In any case, the wait for the announcement of a new church leader should not be too long. The longest papal conclave in the past century took just five days.
If a new pope is in place by Sunday, he would probably lead the Angelus prayers on that day, Lombardi said. The first public Mass would be the inauguration Mass.
'Intense period'
Black smoke also billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday night, after the cardinals failed to choose a new pope in the first vote of their conclave.
Huddled under umbrellas as rain came down, crowds of onlookers watched the chimney and big screens set up in St. Peter's Square.
Filipino priest and CNN iReporter Joel Camaya was among a number of Catholic faithful in the square who watched as the black smoke poured out.
There was "a collective sigh of disappointment and everyone started heading home," he said. "There was no pope, yet."
The public interest reflects the "very intense and beautiful period" the church is experiencing at the moment, Lombardi said. "We are feeling the level of intensity of the wait. We saw many people in the square last night, a lot more than I myself had expected."
Pope emeritus Benedict XVI also watched on television as the black smoke rose on Tuesday, Lombardi said.
Benedict had earlier watched on TV as the scarlet-clad cardinals attended a special Mass and took their oath of secrecy in the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave to elect his successor, he said.
The Vatican received calls Tuesday night from people concerned that the heavy black smoke might have caused damage to the Sistine Chapel or created problems for the cardinals, Rosica said.
But, he said, he could confirm that the frescoes have not been damaged and that the cardinals are enjoying good health.
How is a new pope elected?
Communication ban
The cardinals will remain locked in isolation until one candidate, almost certainly from among their number, garners a two-thirds majority, or 77 votes, and is named the new spiritual head of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.
Until that moment, the cardinals are barred from communicating with the outside world in any way. Jamming devices have been installed to prevent the use of cell phones or other devices.
The cardinals stay in the Casa Santa Marta, a Vatican City hotel, for the duration of the conclave, moving from there to the Pauline Chapel to pray or the Sistine Chapel to vote.
Applause echoed around St. Peter's Basilica on Tuesday as Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, offered thanks for the "brilliant pontificate" of Benedict, whose unexpected resignation precipitated the selection of a new pope.
When cardinals elected Benedict in 2005, after a conclave that ran into a second day, the white smoke signaling the decision came about six hours after an earlier, inconclusive vote.
Benedict is currently staying at the summer papal residence, Castel Gandolfo, while restoration work is carried out on a small monastery within Vatican City. Once it is ready, he will live out his days there in study and prayer.
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