The Vatican confirmed the Chicago-born pontiff sent a mail-in ballot ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.
VATICAN CITY – Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope to vote in a US election, the Vatican confirmed Friday, saying he submitted a mail-in ballot in Chicago ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The Vatican statement said the pope “has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen” whenever he was eligible. It said he also voted in Peru, where he lived as a missionary priest and bishop for more than two decades, whenever he could. It said he believes in the right and duty of citizens to take part in democratic processes. Leo holds US and Peruvian citizenship and is the head of state of the Holy See.
The Chicago Sun-Times first reported the vote. The Will County clerk’s office in Illinois told the newspaper that he requested a mail-in ballot on Oct. 3. Records show he is registered under his baptismal name, Robert Francis Prevost, in the Chicago suburb of New Lenox, where his brother lives. The Associated Press, citing Illinois election records, reported that he has submitted ballots in every general election since 2000 except 2020 and 2022. He has also voted in both Republican and Democratic primaries in recent years. How he returned the ballot is unclear, and how he voted is secret.
According to AP, the request was made 10 days before the pope underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. He has been slowly resuming his activities since leaving the hospital.
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops said the pope’s participation sets an example that encourages every citizen to exercise civic responsibility and urged Catholics to put “faith before politics.” Historian Michael Walsh told CNN that Leo is likely the first pope to vote in a secular democratic election. No voting records are public for his predecessor, Pope Francis, who kept his Argentine citizenship after his election.
This report draws on information from the Associated Press, CBS News and CNN.
