Pope Leo XIV Becomes First Pope in History to Vote in a US Election
Pope Leo XIV has made history as the first pope ever to vote in a U.S. general election, casting a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.
The Vatican confirmed the vote on Friday after the Chicago Sun-Times first reported it. Leo, the first pope from the United States, was born Robert Prevost and still holds U.S. citizenship.
What the Vatican Said
The Holy See press office said Leo "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so." The statement added that he also voted during his years living in Peru, where he served as a missionary priest and bishop for more than two decades.
"The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes," the Vatican said, according to The Associated Press.
Leo holds both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship. As pope, he is also head of state of the Holy See, an absolute monarchy that holds no political elections of its own.
The milestone is a first partly because of timing. The Catholic Church is roughly 18 centuries older than the United States, which was founded in 1776, EWTN News noted.
A Ballot Requested Before Surgery
According to the chief of staff at the Will County clerk's office, Leo is registered at an address in New Lenox, Illinois, and requested his mail-in ballot on Oct. 3.
That was about 10 days before he underwent lung surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. He left the hospital on Oct. 17, and his doctors shared an encouraging update soon after. He is gradually returning to his duties and plans to travel to South America next month.
It is unclear how the pope returned his ballot. His older brother, John Prevost, was in Rome this week with parishioners from St. Jude's, an Augustinian parish in New Lenox that John attends. Leo spoke at the parish in 2024 while he was still a cardinal.
Illinois voters are deciding whether to give Gov. JB Pritzker a third term and are filling the U.S. Senate seat left open by Sen. Dick Durbin's retirement.
His Voting History
Illinois State Board of Elections records show Leo has voted in every general election since 2000 except 2020 and 2022, CBS News reported.
He has also voted in five primaries. He requested Democratic ballots in 2008 and 2010 while registered in Cook County, then Republican ballots in 2012, 2014 and 2016 after moving to suburban Will County.
The records do not show which candidates he supported. Illinois requires voters to choose a party in primaries, but not in general elections.
A Pope Who Speaks Up
Leo has encouraged Catholics to engage with the world around them. Speaking in St. Peter's Square on Sept. 2, he urged the faithful to leave behind "all passivity and indifference" toward current events and to "become involved," according to Catholic News Service.
He has also weighed in on U.S. issues that cross party lines. He has called for humane treatment of immigrants and criticized the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, positions that drew pushback from President Donald Trump, who earlier this year called him "weak." In April, Leo responded, "I'm not afraid of the Trump administration." The public feud has quieted in recent months.
Leo has also upheld Church teaching on life issues. He said he was "very disappointed" when Illinois legalized medically assisted dying, and he recently restated that the death penalty is "inadmissible." In 2025, when a planned award for Durbin drew objections from some conservative U.S. bishops over abortion, Leo called for respect on both sides and noted the contradiction of calling oneself "pro-life" while supporting the death penalty.
The Vatican did not say how Leo voted, and it is unlikely the world will ever know. But his ballot sends a clear message about the importance of showing up at the polls.
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