Pope Leo XIV casts ballot in US midterms, becomes first pontiff to vote in a US general election

Pope Leo XIV has voted in the 2026 US midterm elections, becoming the first sitting pope to cast a ballot in a US general election, the Vatican confirmed on Friday.The Chicago-born pontiff submitted a mail-in ballot in his home state of Illinois ahead of the November elections. The Holy See press office said Leo, formerly known as Robert Prevost, had exercised his voting rights whenever he was eligible as a US citizen."The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes," the Vatican statement said.The confirmation followed a report by the Chicago Sun-Times, which cited the chief of staff at the Will County clerk's office as saying that Leo had requested a mail-in ballot on October 3. He is registered at an address in New Lenox, Illinois.It remains unclear how the pontiff returned his ballot. His brother, John Prevost, was in Rome this week accompanying parishioners from St Jude's, an Augustinian-run church in New Lenox where the pope attends Mass. Leo also addressed the parish in 2024, when he was still a cardinal.The Vatican said Leo had also voted while living in Peru whenever he was eligible. His participation in the US midterms reflects his stated belief that citizens should take part in democratic elections.Records from the Illinois State Board of Elections cited by the AP show that Prevost requested ballots in five primary elections since 2000. He selected Democratic ballots in 2008 and 2010, followed by Republican ballots in 2012, 2014 and 2016.Illinois voters must declare a party preference when requesting a ballot in a primary election, which determines each party's candidates for the general election. However, voters are not required to declare a party preference when voting in general elections.The records also show that Prevost submitted ballots in every US general election since 2000 except those held in 2020 and 2022. They do not identify which candidates he supported in any election.His voting history spans two Illinois counties. While registered in Cook County, which is heavily Democratic, he requested Democratic primary ballots. After moving to Will County, a more conservative suburban area, he selected Republican ballots in three consecutive primary elections.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.