Pope Leo Vote: First Pontiff to Cast a U.S. Ballot

The Pope Leo vote is officially a historic first: a sitting pontiff just filled out a ballot in a U.S. election. According to Vatican News, the Holy See Press Office announced on Friday that Pope Leo XIV, an American citizen, submitted a mail-in ballot in Chicago for the midterm elections.

What the Vatican said

The statement said the pope "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so," in keeping with a long-standing practice of civic participation. It added that he believes in "the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes."

The Vatican also confirmed that during his years living in Peru, he voted whenever he was eligible. It did not say which candidates he chose, according to Al Jazeera.

How the ballot got from Illinois to the Vatican

The Chicago Sun-Times first reported that Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, is still a registered voter in Illinois and requested a mail ballot on October third through the Will County clerk's office. Records show he is registered at an address in New Lenox, according to The Guardian.

The ballot had to travel from Joliet to Vatican City and back again. NBC News reported that the clerk's office had not yet received the completed ballot when the news broke, so the journey home was still underway.

A voting record that spans parties

Public records cited by the Sun-Times show Prevost voted in the 2012, 2014 and 2016 Republican primaries, plus the 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2024 general elections. He also voted in Democratic primaries in 2008 and 2010.

Illinois does not require party registration, so voters can pick a party's primary ballot each time. That makes the record a mixed bag rather than a clear signal, and the Pope Leo vote itself stays secret.

Why it is a big deal

Axios noted that Leo may be the first pope to vote in any secular democratic election. Leo, who has clashed with President Donald Trump over several issues, is also the first American leader of the Catholic Church, elected last year after the death of Pope Francis.

Timing matters too. Leo requested the ballot just days before surgery this month, according to Al Jazeera, and NBC News noted the surgery was for lung cancer. Voting from his sickbed-adjacent schedule makes the gesture feel even more deliberate.

The bigger picture

Popes have long spoken about civic duty, but none are known to have voted in a secular election, which is why the Pope Leo vote is landing as a genuine milestone. Vatican experts told The New York Times that Leo may be the first pope to vote in a national election of any country.

He is a dual citizen of the United States and Peru, so he holds ties to two democracies. The Vatican framed the ballot as ordinary citizenship, not a political endorsement, and stressed that he has simply done what eligible voters do when they can.

Still, the timing, a few days before a tight midterm season, guarantees plenty of debate. Supporters call it a model of civic duty, while critics may read symbolism into every checkbox. Either way, the Pope Leo vote has people talking about who gets to participate and how far a mail ballot can travel.

Election Day is just a few days away, so ballots like his need to arrive on time to count, and clerks across the country are racing to process a surge of early and mailed votes.

What is on the Illinois ballot

Elections are held nationwide on November third, and early voting has already begun in most states. In Illinois, voters will pick a successor to retiring Senator Dick Durbin and decide whether to re-elect Governor JB Pritzker, per Al Jazeera.

For Gen Z voters, the message is simple: if the head of a global church with a packed schedule can mail in a ballot from another country, your excuse about not having time looks thin. See more in our politics coverage and world desk.