Pope Leo XIV mails ballot for US midterms, first pontiff to vote
On 30 Oct, Pope Leo XIV sent a mail‑in ballot from Chicago for the United States midterm elections on 3 Nov, marking the first time a sitting pope has voted in a US general election. The 71‑year‑old pontiff, a dual US‑Peruvian citizen recovering from lung‑cancer surgery, is registered in the New Lenox suburb and his ballot covers the Illinois governor race, a Senate seat and a House contest. He will travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from 6 to 17 Nov after the election.
Key facts
- Pope Leo XIV met immigration advocates at an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois on the same day he mailed his ballot.
- He has voted in every US general election since 2000 except 2020 and 2022.
- The mailed ballot will travel from Vatican City to Joliet, Illinois for processing.
- Historian Michael Walsh noted the pope previously voted in both Democratic and Republican primaries and the 2024 presidential election.
- Before becoming pope, Robert Francis Prevost spent nearly two decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru.
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Why it matters
It highlights the Vatican’s stance on civic participation by its leader.
What changed
First published from The Independent, ANSA English, ABC News (US), Bangkok Post and Fortune