Pope Leo XIV Becomes First Pope to Cast a Ballot in a US Election

Pope Leo XIV has cast a ballot by mail in the United States midterm elections, the Vatican press office said on Friday, the first time a pope has voted in an American election.

"In keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation, he has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago," the Vatican said. "The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes."

The Vatican did not say which candidates Leo voted for. Leo, 71, was born in Chicago and is the first American-born pope. He is registered to vote in Illinois under his birth name, Robert Francis Prevost, at an address in New Lenox, a Chicago suburb where his brother John lives. He requested a mail ballot on Oct. 3, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on Thursday, citing the Will County Clerk's office.

A voting record on two continents

The ballot is not Leo's first. The Holy See said he "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen" whenever he was eligible, and that during his years living in Peru he also voted there whenever he was eligible. Records held by the Illinois State Board of Elections show that since 2000 he has taken part in five primary elections, requesting a Democratic ballot twice and a Republican ballot three times, and that he submitted ballots in every general election since 2000 except those in 2020 and 2022, the Associated Press reported.

A first in the history of the papacy

Historians say the step goes beyond an American first. Michael Walsh, a British historian who has written several books on the papacy, told CNN that Leo would be the first pope to vote in a democratic, secular election. "I don't think popes have ever voted in a democratic election before," he said.

Leo was elected by the world's cardinals in May 2025 to lead the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion members. On his Illinois ballot are the race to choose a successor to retiring Senator Dick Durbin, the contest over whether Governor JB Pritzker wins another term, and House, state and county races. Leo met Pritzker at the Vatican in November 2025.

Weeks after lung surgery

The vote comes weeks after an operation. The lower lobe of Leo's right lung was removed in surgery on Oct. 13, and doctors diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. Doctors say he will not need further therapy. He is set to travel to South America next week.

Leo's ballot also lands in a midterm campaign in which he has figured from a distance. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Leo, calling him "weak" and "terrible" on crime. In March, Leo said God rejects the prayers of those who start wars and have "hands full of blood." In April, he called Trump's threat to destroy the Iranian civilization unacceptable, and he has declined to join the president's Board of Peace initiative for Gaza. He has also urged a "deep reflection" on the way migrants are treated in the United States.

Reuters reported that Trump's sagging popularity is hurting his fellow Republicans' chances of holding their majorities in both chambers of Congress in the Nov. 3 election, with voters unhappy about the high cost of living and the Iran war. Polls close on Tuesday, Nov. 3.