Pope Leo becomes first pope to vote in a US election
The Vatican confirmed Friday that Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago-born U.S. citizen, mailed in an Illinois ballot for the Nov. 3 midterms, making him the first pope known to vote in an American election.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
Pope Leo XIV has cast a ballot in next week's U.S. midterm elections, the Holy See Press Office said Friday. The Chicago-born pontiff, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, submitted a mail-in ballot in Illinois, which AP, NBC News and Fox News all report makes him the first pope to vote in a U.S. election.
In the Vatican's words: "Pope Leo XIV has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so." The office said that "in keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation, he has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago," that he also voted whenever eligible while living in Peru, and that he "expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes."
Timeline: Oct. 3, Leo requested a vote-by-mail ballot through the Will County clerk's office in suburban Chicago, the office's chief of staff, Kim Fladhammer, told the Chicago Sun-Times and NBC News. Oct. 13, the Vatican announced surgery at Rome's Gemelli hospital to remove a small tumor from his right lung; doctors said Oct. 21 that no further cancer treatment was needed, Fox News reported. Oct. 29, the Sun-Times first reported the ballot request. Oct. 30, the Vatican confirmed the ballot was submitted. Nov. 3, Election Day.
Why it matters
The head of the Catholic Church is also an American voter, and the Vatican chose to say so publicly four days before Nov. 3. It did not say how he voted, and the statement framed the act as civic duty rather than an endorsement of any party or candidate.
More context
His record: Public voting records cited by the Sun-Times and NBC show Prevost voted in the 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2024 general elections, in Republican primaries in 2012, 2014 and 2016, and in Democratic primaries in 2008 and 2010. He skipped Illinois' March 2026 primary. Illinois voters do not register by party and choose a party's ballot at each primary, so those records do not show a party affiliation.
How a pope votes from abroad: Illinois required an excuse to vote absentee until 2010 but no longer does, state elections board spokesman Matt Dietrich told the Sun-Times, so "any Illinois registered voter can vote by mail." Americans living overseas can also use the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. Illinois' ballot this year includes the governor's race, where Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker is seeking a third term against Republican Darren Bailey and independent Collin Corbett, Fox News noted.
What's still unknown: The Will County clerk's office told NBC News it had not yet received a completed ballot from the pope; the ballot must travel from Vatican City to Joliet. The Vatican's statement places the submission "in Chicago," while the request went through Will County, and neither office has explained that wording. Who he voted for will not be disclosed.
Sources across the spectrum This story cites right-leaning and left-leaning outlets. Every source is listed below.
6 listed sources
- Vatican News, Holy See Press Office statement, Oct 30, 2026:
- AP, Oct 30, 2026:
- NBC News, Oct 30, 2026:
- Fox News, Oct 30, 2026:
- Chicago Sun-Times, Oct 30, 2026:
- USA Today, Oct 30, 2026:
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
The Vatican's statement is the primary source. The Will County clerk's office, which handles the pope's Illinois registration, told NBC News it had not yet received his completed ballot; the Vatican says it was submitted. Neither the Vatican nor the county has said how he voted, and ballots are secret.
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