Pope Leo XIV has become the first pontiff in history to vote in a United States general election, casting a mail-in ballot in Illinois ahead of the November 3 midterms while continuing to serve as the sovereign leader of the Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City.
The Vatican confirmed on October 30 that the Chicago-born pope, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, exercised his right to vote as a US citizen and submitted a mail-in ballot associated with his Illinois registration. Officials did not disclose which candidates he supported, preserving the secrecy surrounding a vote that carries unusual historical significance because no previous pope was born in the United States.
Leo remains a US citizen despite becoming pope in May 2025 and also holds Peruvian citizenship after spending more than two decades serving as a missionary and bishop in Peru. His dual role as both an American voter and the sovereign of another country creates an extraordinary constitutional and diplomatic situation, although US citizens living overseas generally retain the ability to participate in federal elections through absentee voting.
The vote comes only days before Americans decide control of Congress in elections that could reshape the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term. Illinois voters are also choosing a new US senator following Dick Durbin’s retirement and deciding whether Governor JB Pritzker should win another term.
Pope Leo’s mail-in ballot creates an unprecedented moment in US and Vatican history
The Vatican said Leo has maintained a long-standing commitment to civic participation and has voted whenever he was legally eligible to do so. His decision to participate in the 2026 election therefore appears consistent with his personal voting history rather than representing a newly adopted political role following his election as pope.
Voting records show that Leo requested his Illinois mail-in ballot on October 3, 10 days before undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. He has since returned to public duties after doctors said the cancer was localized and that additional treatment would not be required.
Leo is registered in Will County, Illinois, under his birth name Robert Francis Prevost. His registration connects him to the Chicago region where he was born and raised before beginning the religious career that eventually took him to Peru, Rome and ultimately the papacy.
The historical significance comes from the fact that previous popes generally did not possess US citizenship. Leo’s election as the first American-born pontiff created a situation in which the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church remained legally entitled to participate in the political process of one of the world’s most influential democracies.
Past voting records show Leo participated in both Democratic and Republican primaries
Public election records offer some insight into Leo’s previous civic participation but do not reveal which candidates he has supported. Since 2000, Prevost participated in five Illinois primary elections, requesting Democratic ballots twice and Republican ballots three times.
He requested Democratic primary ballots in 2008 and 2010 while registered in heavily Democratic Cook County. After moving his registration to more conservative Will County, he requested Republican primary ballots in 2012, 2014 and 2016.
Those records should not be interpreted as proof that Leo consistently supported either party. Illinois primary voters must select a party ballot, but the record only identifies which ballot was requested and does not disclose individual candidate selections.
His general-election history is broader. Records indicate that he voted in nearly every US general election since 2000, with the exceptions of 2020 and 2022, reinforcing the Vatican’s description of the pope as someone who has regularly participated in American civic life.
The Vatican has also said Leo voted when eligible while living in Peru. His long-standing engagement with democratic elections therefore predates his elevation to the papacy and reflects an established personal practice rather than an intervention specifically designed around the current US political environment.
Historic vote comes after Pope Leo repeatedly challenged Trump on war and immigration
Leo’s participation is receiving additional attention because his relationship with Trump has at times been openly tense. The pope has criticized aspects of US foreign policy, condemned threats of overwhelming military destruction against Iran and repeatedly called for stronger humanitarian treatment of migrants.
Trump has responded critically to Leo on several occasions, describing him earlier in his papacy as politically weak and accusing him of aligning too closely with the American left. Leo rejected those characterizations and argued that his positions reflected Catholic teaching rather than allegiance to a US political party.
Their differences have been particularly visible over war. Leo has repeatedly emphasized diplomacy, multilateral negotiation and the protection of civilians while criticizing military escalation in the Middle East and elsewhere.
The pope has also spoken about immigration in moral terms, urging Americans to reflect on how migrants are treated and emphasizing human dignity as a central Christian principle. Those comments have placed him in tension with parts of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda without producing an endorsement of Democratic political candidates.
That distinction will be especially important as speculation grows over how Leo voted. Neither the Vatican nor Illinois election authorities have disclosed his selections, and his previous primary history demonstrates that attempts to assign him neatly to one US political party would be difficult to substantiate.
Pope’s vote highlights unusual overlap between religious leadership, citizenship and democracy
Leo occupies a position unlike that of an ordinary overseas voter because he is also the sovereign of Vatican City. The pope holds supreme authority over the Holy See, which maintains diplomatic relations with governments around the world and operates independently from the United States.
US law generally allows American citizens living abroad to vote by absentee ballot, including people employed by foreign governments. Holding a senior foreign governmental position does not automatically cancel American citizenship, although unusual cases involving foreign heads of state can receive additional legal scrutiny.
The Vatican has nevertheless made clear that Leo continues to regard himself as entitled to exercise his voting rights as an American citizen. His ballot therefore represents an unusual overlap between personal citizenship and the political neutrality normally expected from the leader of a global religious institution.
Catholic teaching does not prohibit voting, and the church regularly encourages believers to participate responsibly in public life. US Catholic leaders responded to confirmation of Leo’s ballot by emphasizing civic responsibility while also urging voters to place moral principles and human dignity above partisan loyalty.
For Leo, maintaining ballot secrecy helps preserve that distinction. He can encourage democratic participation without transforming the papacy into an explicit endorsement of a particular candidate, party or electoral platform.
Illinois midterms give Pope Leo ballot choices with major national implications
The pope’s Illinois ballot comes during a consequential election in which control of Congress remains uncertain. Republicans are attempting to preserve their majorities in the House and Senate as Trump’s approval ratings have weakened and concerns over living costs, the Iran war and domestic political divisions influence voters.
Illinois itself remains heavily Democratic at the statewide level, but several major races carry national significance. Voters are selecting a replacement for retiring Senator Dick Durbin while also deciding whether Pritzker should remain governor.
The election will determine the political environment Trump faces during the final half of his second term. A Democratic takeover of either chamber could increase investigations of the administration, complicate legislation and reshape negotiations over spending, immigration and foreign policy.
Republican victories would instead strengthen Trump’s ability to pursue his agenda through Congress. That makes the 2026 midterms consequential even though the presidency itself is not on the ballot.
Leo’s individual vote is unlikely to determine the outcome in overwhelmingly Democratic Illinois, but its symbolism extends far beyond one ballot. A pope participating in a US election while governing the Vatican is an event without precedent in modern Catholic or American political history.
Key takeaways on Pope Leo XIV voting in the US midterm election
- Pope Leo XIV has become the first pontiff in history to vote in a United States general election.
- The Chicago-born pope submitted a mail-in ballot in Illinois ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
- Leo remains a US citizen and also holds Peruvian citizenship while serving as sovereign head of Vatican City.
- The Vatican did not reveal which candidates or political party the pope supported.
- Illinois records show Leo previously requested both Democratic and Republican primary ballots, making partisan assumptions about his politics unreliable.
- He has participated in most US general elections since 2000 and also voted when eligible while living in Peru.
- Leo has publicly disagreed with Donald Trump over issues including war, Iran and treatment of migrants.
- The historic vote comes as Americans determine control of Congress and Illinois voters choose a new senator and decide the governor’s race.
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