Pope Leo XIV Makes History as First Pontiff to Cast Ballot in U.S. General Election

The Vatican confirms the pope submitted a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago ahead of the November midterm elections

Pope Leo XIV has become the first pontiff to participate in a United States general election, casting a mail-in ballot in Chicago, his city of birth.

The Vatican confirmed on Friday that the pope submitted an absentee ballot ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, citing his longstanding conviction regarding civic engagement.

Leo, formerly Robert Prevost, “has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen,” as he has done “whenever he was eligible to do so,” the Vatican press office stated.

“The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” the statement added.

The Vatican did not disclose which candidates the pope supported.

In a commentary on Leo’s vote, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged Catholics to place “our faith before our politics” and to “uphold human dignity and the common good.”

“In voting, our Holy Father sets the example that encourages each citizen to exercise their civic responsibility,” said Chieko Noguchi, the conference’s director of public affairs.

Leo holds citizenship in the United States, Peru—where he served as a priest and bishop for more than two decades—and Vatican City, where he serves as head of state.

U.S. federal law permits citizens residing abroad, including those employed by foreign governments, to vote via absentee ballot.

While Americans working for foreign governments do not automatically risk losing their citizenship, the U.S. State Department notes it may “actively review” the status of citizens who “serve as a foreign head of state, foreign head of government, or foreign minister.”

A Consistent Voter

In this year’s midterm elections, voters in the solidly Democratic state of Illinois, home to Chicago, will select a successor to retiring Senator Dick Durbin and decide whether to re-elect Governor JB Pritzker.

Leo requested a mail-in ballot on October 3, just ten days before undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. He has gradually resumed his duties at the Vatican following his release from the hospital on October 17.

Since 2000, Leo has voted in five primary elections under the name Prevost, requesting Democratic ballots twice and Republican ballots three times, according to records from the Illinois State Board of Elections, which do not indicate specific candidate preferences.

Illinois requires voters to declare a party preference to receive a primary ballot.

While registered in heavily Democratic Cook County, Prevost requested Democratic primary ballots in 2008 and 2010. After relocating to the more conservative Will County, he requested Republican primary ballots in 2012, 2014, and 2016.

Tensions with the Trump Administration

Since Leo’s elevation to the papacy in May 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump has clashed with the pontiff on several occasions.

Trump criticized the pope for repeatedly condemning the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran and for challenging his administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

Earlier this year, Trump labeled Leo “weak” and captive to the “radical left,” initiating a remarkable public exchange.

Leo responded by telling reporters: “I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the church works for.”

Source link