Photo by NCinDC

Much like the cardinals gather in the Vatican to select a new pope according to antiquated rules and customs, members of the D.C. Democratic State Committee will congregate today in their own conclave in order to select an interim At-Large councilmember.

The 82 members of the local Democratic Party will be tasked with selecting someone to fill the seat vacated by D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson until a special election can be held on April 23. Three candidates—call them them Preferiti—are in the running: party chairwoman (and expected winner) Anita Bonds, former shadow representative John Capozzi and former D.C. delegate candidate Doug Sloan.

The last time this happened as January 2011, when Sekou Biddle beat out Vincent Orange after three rounds of voting. That process was widely criticized for being opaque; this time around the party has opted to use open ballots, but it has still been accused of failing to be completely open about the process. (The date was suddenly changed earlier this month, and the location of the vote wasn’t published on the party’s website until this weekend.)

Today’s selection doesn’t mean that the winner will necessarily claim victory come April 23; Biddle didn’t for one. A number of candidates have already picked up nominating petitions for the special election, including Capozzi, former At-Large candidate A.J. Cooper, D.C. Shorts founder Jon Gann, Ward 3 commissioner Matthew Frumin, and others. Former At-Large contender Pat Mara is expected to enter the race, while even Biddle and one-time foe Peter Shapiro have been rumored as candidates, as has outgoing Councilmember Michael A. Brown (I-At Large).

In making the metaphor of the selection of the Pope even more apt, tonight’s selection will take place at 7 p.m. in Caldwell Hall on the campus of Catholic University—the Vatican’s official university in the U.S.