How is the Grandmaster elected?

The Grand Master is elected annually by Grand Lodge at its March Quarterly Communication, as the United Grand Lodge of England states.

Historically, James Anderson recorded in the 1723 Constitutions that the outgoing Grand Master nominated a successor for unanimous approval by Grand Lodge, defaulting to a ballot among Masters and Wardens if the nomination was not accepted 2. Laurence Dermott's 1787 Ahiman Rezon similarly noted that while early regulations outlined a ballot process when nominations lacked unanimous agreement, Grand Lodge in practice consistently approved the choice 1. Both early sets of regulations explicitly reserved to Grand Lodge the inherent authority to amend such administrative rules for the benefit of the fraternity, provided the ancient landmarks were preserved 12.