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Upon the death of an Emperor the throne does not automatically pass to his heir. Instead, an election is held by the 15 Electors - the 10 Elector Counts, the [[Elder of the Moot]], the [[Ar-Ulric]] and each of the [[Grand Theogonist]] and his two [[Arch Lector]]s - to select a new Emperor from among the Elector Counts. Each of them casts a vote, and the candidate with the most votes becomes Emperor.{{Fn|4b}}
The Emperor is essentially the leader and first among equals of the Elector Counts, who are extremely powerful and independent. His power is severely limited by the inability to enforce his edicts within the semi-independent provinces, where the Elector Counts can effectively choose to largely ignore them.
A wise Emperor realises that trying to subdue the Elector Counts through force or threats is a very dangerous endeavour, which all too easily can end with open rebellion and civil war. Gaining their respect and loyalty through example and fair leadership tends to be the best solution.