Pope Leo XIV Becomes First Pope to Vote in a U.S. Election

Pope Leo XIV has cast a mail-in ballot in next Tuesday’s midterm elections, making him the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general election, the Vatican confirmed Friday, according to CBS News and Vatican News.

“Pope Leo XIV has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement published by Vatican News. The press office said that, “in keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation, he has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago.”

Pope Leo XIV makes history as first pope to vote in US general election https://t.co/2ne3PrWdPk pic.twitter.com/siivR8RoEM

— New York Post (@nypost) October 30, 2026

A Will County voter in the Vatican

The Chicago-born pontiff, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, is registered to vote in suburban Will County, Illinois. He requested his mail ballot on Oct. 3, Will County Clerk’s Office chief of staff Kim Fladhammer confirmed to NBC News. The Chicago Sun-Times first reported the ballot request, according to NBC News and CBS News.

NBC News reported that the clerk’s office said Thursday it had not yet received the completed ballot, which must travel from Vatican City to Joliet. The Vatican statement on Friday said the pope has submitted it.

The Vatican also said Leo voted whenever he was eligible during his years living in Peru. “The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” the press office said, according to Vatican News.

Republican primary ballots in Will County

Illinois voting records show the future pope has crossed party lines in primaries over the years. According to CBS News, citing Illinois State Board of Elections records, Prevost requested Democratic primary ballots in 2008 and 2010 while registered in Cook County, then requested Republican primary ballots in 2012, 2014 and 2016 after moving to more conservative Will County. NBC News also reported that he voted in Republican primaries in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Illinois voters do not register by party, and the records do not show which candidates he supported, CBS News reported. Ballots in general elections are secret.

A pope who has clashed with the White House

The vote comes after a public back-and-forth between Leo and President Donald Trump. NBC News reported that Leo has criticized parts of the administration’s agenda, including the war with Iran and immigration enforcement, and that Trump responded in April by calling the pope “WEAK on crime” and saying, “I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo.” Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, has also said the pope should “be careful” when he talks about theology, according to NBC News.

NBC News reported that Leo’s ballot includes several races Democrats are favored to win, including Rep. Jonathan Jackson’s House seat, the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Gov. JB Pritzker’s bid for a third term.

Recovering and planning travel

The 71-year-old pope is recovering from lung cancer surgery this month, NBC News and CBS News reported, and CBS News said he is moving ahead with plans for a trip to South America next month. The Independent reported that Leo has not returned to the United States since he was elected in May 2025.

For Catholic voters across the country, the Vatican’s message is simple: the first American pope says voting is both a right and a duty, and he did his part from Rome.

Sources

• Vatican News
• CBS News
• NBC News
• The Independent

Reporting by Daily Beltway.