The electors were then told to break up the Convention ("depart to your separate groups", or "discedite, quirites"). The electors assembled behind a fenced off area and voted by placing a pebble or written ballot into an appropriate jar. The baskets ("cistae") that held the votes were watched by specific officers (the "custodes"), who then counted the ballots, and reported the results to the presiding magistrate. The majority of votes in any Curia decided how that Curia voted. If the process was not complete by nightfall, the electors were dismissed without having reached a decision, and the process had to begin again the next day.