Daijiworld Media Network - Chicago
Chicago, Oct 31: Pope Leo XIV has become the first pontiff to vote in a United States general election after casting a mail-in ballot in Chicago, his birthplace, ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
The Vatican confirmed on Friday that the pope had submitted his ballot, describing his participation as part of a longstanding commitment to civic responsibility.
Leo, formerly known as Robert Francis Prevost, “has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen”, as he has done “whenever he was eligible to do so”, the Holy See Press Office said.
“The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” it added.
The Vatican did not disclose which candidates the pope had supported.
Reacting to the development, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops urged Catholics to put “our faith before our politics” and uphold human dignity and the common good.
“In voting, our Holy Father sets the example that encourages each citizen to exercise their civic responsibility,” said Chieko Noguchi, the conference's director of public affairs.
Leo holds citizenship in the United States and Peru, where he lived as a priest and bishop for more than 20 years. He is also a citizen of the Vatican, where he serves as head of state. US federal law allows eligible citizens living abroad, including those working for foreign governments, to vote through absentee ballots.
However, the US State Department says it may review the citizenship status of Americans who serve as foreign heads of state, heads of government or foreign ministers. Such service does not automatically result in the loss of US citizenship.
The November 3 midterm elections will see voters in Illinois, a traditionally Democratic state where Chicago is located, elect a successor to retiring Senator Dick Durbin and decide whether to re-elect Governor JB Pritzker.
Leo requested a mail-in ballot on October 3, just 10 days before undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung. He was discharged from hospital on October 17 and has gradually resumed his activities at the Vatican.
Records held by the Illinois State Board of Elections show that, as Robert Prevost, he participated in five primary elections since 2000. He requested Democratic primary ballots in 2008 and 2010, followed by Republican ballots in 2012, 2014 and 2016. The records do not reveal which candidates he supported.
Prevost was registered in Cook County before moving to Will County, a more conservative area. Illinois voters must declare a party preference when requesting a ballot in primary elections.
Since Leo became pope in May 2025, he has had several public disagreements with US President Donald Trump, particularly over immigration policies and the US-Israel war on Iran.
Trump earlier this year described the pontiff as “weak” and accused him of being influenced by the “radical left” after Leo repeatedly criticised the war and challenged the administration's immigration crackdown.
Responding to Trump's remarks, Leo told reporters: “I'm not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the church works for.”