Pope Leo XIV votes by mail in US midterms, Vatican confirms
- The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV submitted a mail-in ballot in Chicago for the US midterm elections.
- It is the first known time a sitting pope has voted in a political election.
- The pope, who holds US and Peruvian citizenship, has said citizens have a right and duty to take part in democracy.
Pope Leo XIV has voted in the United States midterm elections, the Vatican said on Friday, making him the first known sitting pope to take part in a political election.
The Holy See Press Office said the Chicago-born pontiff submitted a mail-in ballot in Chicago. The elections are set for Tuesday, November 3.
According to the Vatican, the pope "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so." It said he also voted during his years living in Peru, where he served for nearly two decades as a missionary and bishop.
The Vatican said Pope Leo believes in "the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes."
Why it matters
The vote is unusual because the pope leads the world's 1.4 billion Catholics and is also a US citizen. Before becoming pope in May 2025, he was known as Robert Francis Prevost. He holds both US and Peruvian citizenship.
Punch reported that the pope remains registered to vote in Will County, Illinois, under his birth name, and requested a mail-in ballot on October 3. He is registered at an address in New Lenox, a Chicago suburb where his brother lives. US citizens living abroad can vote by absentee or mail ballot in federal elections.
Public records cited by Punch show he voted in several earlier US elections and primaries, including the 2024 general election.
The announcement comes after a public rift earlier this year between the pope and US President Donald Trump. They clashed over the pope's criticism of the US immigration crackdown and the war on Iran. Trump called the pontiff "weak" on crime and "terrible" on foreign policy, while the pope said he was "not afraid" of Trump.
Pope Leo, 71, had surgery for lung cancer earlier this month and is gradually returning to his duties. He is preparing for a trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17.
What happens next
All 435 House of Representatives seats are up for election, along with 35 Senate seats and 36 governorships. In Illinois, the ballot includes the race to replace retiring Senator Dick Durbin and the reelection bid of Governor JB Pritzker.
It is not yet clear whether the pope's ballot will be counted. If it is, it would be the first known time a sitting pope has voted in a US election.
