Pope Leo XIV submits first papal ballot in U.S. midterm

Pope Leo XIV has cast the first known vote by a pope in a U.S. general election. The Vatican confirmed on Friday that the pontiff submitted a mail-in ballot in Chicago ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. The Holy See cited the pope's long-standing belief in civic participation as the reason for his vote.

Leo, formerly Robert Prevost, is 71 years old and a citizen of both the United States and Peru. The Vatican press office stated that he has exercised his right to vote as a U.S. citizen whenever eligible. The office added that the Holy Father believes in the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes.

The Will County clerk's office in Illinois recorded a mail-in ballot request from Leo on October 3. He was registered at an address in New Lenox, a suburb in Will County. This request was made 10 days before Leo underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. He was released from the hospital on October 17 and has been slowly resuming his activities at the Vatican since then.

The Chicago Sun-Times first reported the vote, citing the chief of staff at the Will County clerk's office. It is currently unclear how Leo returned the completed ballot. Leo is the head of state of the Holy See, an absolute monarchy that does not hold political elections. U.S. federal law permits citizens living abroad to vote via absentee ballot, even if they work for foreign governments.

Michael Kelly, a papal historian, told CNN that he was unaware of any pope voting in a democratic election before Leo. The Vatican statement noted that Leo had also voted while living in Peru whenever eligible, though no evidence indicates he cast a ballot in the Peruvian national election held earlier this year. There are no known Vatican statements indicating that any of the three popes preceding Leo voted in their countries of origin.

Leo's voting history in Illinois shows a pattern of switching party affiliations for primary elections. Records from the Illinois State Board of Elections show that he voted in five primary elections since 2000. He requested Democratic ballots twice in 2008 and 2010 while registered in Cook County. He requested Republican ballots three times in 2012, 2014, and 2016 after moving to Will County. The records do not show which candidates he supported, as voters must declare a party preference for primaries but not for general elections.

Leo has voted in every Illinois general election since 2000, except in 2020 and 2022. In the upcoming election, Illinois voters will decide whether to re-elect Governor JB Pritzker and will fill an open U.S. Senate seat. Democrats Juliana Stratton and Don Tracy are running for the Senate after incumbent Democrat Dick Durbin announced his retirement. The U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops praised the vote, with spokesperson Chieko Noguchi stating that the pope sets an example for civic responsibility.

Leo has faced public criticism from President Donald Trump for condemning the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran and supporting immigrants. Trump previously called Leo weak and captive to the radical left. Leo responded by saying he is not afraid to speak out against war and promote peace. He also supported a message from U.S. Catholic bishops that decried the vilification of immigrants and urged nations to recognize their fundamental dignity.