Pope Leo XIV has become the first sitting pope known to vote in a United States election, submitting a mail-in ballot in Chicago for the 2026 Illinois midterm elections. The Vatican confirmed the vote on Friday, 30 October, just days before Americans head to the polls on Tuesday, 3 November.
The announcement is historic in two ways. Leo, the Chicago-born pontiff, is the first reigning pope known to have taken part in an American election, and reports note he may also be the first pope to vote in any secular democratic election. The Vatican did not disclose how he voted, and his individual choices remain secret, as they are for any voter.
What happened
The Holy See Press Office said on Friday morning that the pope had submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago. It described the act as part of his long-standing practice of taking part in civic life, and said he believes citizens have both a right and a duty to participate in democratic processes.
The confirmation followed reporting by The Chicago Sun-Times that the Will County clerk’s office in Illinois had issued a mail-in ballot to the pope, who was born Robert Francis Prevost. According to that reporting, he requested the ballot on 3 October and is registered in New Lenox, a Chicago suburb.
Local radio station WJOL in Joliet, Illinois, was the first outlet to report on 23 October that Leo had requested a mail-in ballot. The Vatican’s statement on Friday then confirmed that the ballot had been submitted.
What the Vatican said
The Vatican’s message was short and deliberate. It stressed that Leo had voted as a United States citizen whenever he was eligible to do so, and that the same applied during his years living in Peru, where he also holds citizenship.
That framing matters. The Vatican did not present the vote as a political endorsement or a comment on any candidate. It presented it as continuity: a citizen who has voted before, voting again after becoming pope. The statement made no mention of any candidate, party or ballot measure, and no voting choices were revealed.
What is on the ballot
Reports say the pope’s Illinois ballot includes the state’s high-profile midterm contests: the re-election race of Governor JB Pritzker, the contest to choose a successor to Senator Dick Durbin, and a House of Representatives race between Democratic Representative Jonathan Jackson and Republican Christian Maxwell.
Illinois voters do not have to register with a political party, and reports describe Leo’s current party affiliation as undeclared. That detail fits a voting record that crosses party lines, as set out below.
A long voting history
Long before his election as pope in May 2025, Robert Francis Prevost was a regular Illinois voter, according to voting records cited by The Chicago Sun-Times.
The records show he voted in the general elections of 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2024. In primaries, he voted in Democratic primaries in 2008 and 2010, when he lived in the heavily Democratic Cook County, and in Republican primaries in 2012, 2014 and 2016 after moving to the more conservative Will County, where he is now registered.
In other words, the midterm ballot is not a new habit adopted for publicity. It continues a pattern of voting in both parties’ primaries and in general elections over nearly two decades, a pattern the Vatican itself pointed to when it spoke of his long-standing civic participation.
Why it matters
The vote matters first because it breaks new ground for the papacy. No sitting pope had previously been known to vote in an American election, and the Vatican’s decision to confirm the ballot publicly, rather than leave it to local reporting, underlines that this is a moment the Holy See was willing to own.
It also matters for what it signals about citizenship and office. Leo is an American citizen leading a global church from Vatican City, and his ballot had to travel from the Vatican to Illinois election officials. His case shows how American citizens living abroad can still take part through mail-in and absentee voting, a system that varies by state but is a routine part of US elections.
Finally, the timing gives the story wider resonance. With the midterms only days away, a vote by the first American pope has become one of the most talked-about civic acts of the campaign’s final weekend, even though the pope himself has said nothing about any candidate.
The wider midterm picture
The 2026 midterms will decide control of Congress and shape the final years of President Donald Trump’s presidency, and campaigning has intensified across the country in the final days. Barack Obama campaigned in Ohio and Michigan as the midterm race tightened, while JD Vance has campaigned for the Kansas Senate race, and US early voting has already passed 43 million ballots.
At the same time, the mechanics of voting have themselves become a campaign issue. The Justice Department’s order to California counties over ballots from suspected noncitizens has drawn sharp responses from state officials, a reminder that mail-in ballots, voter rolls and ballot security are all contested ground in this election cycle.
Against that backdrop, the Vatican’s calm, procedural announcement stands out. It did not engage with any dispute about ballots or eligibility. It simply confirmed that one American citizen, who happens to be pope, had cast his vote.
Timeline
- 2008 and 2010: Prevost votes in Democratic primaries while living in Cook County, Illinois, according to voting records.
- 2012, 2014 and 2016: He votes in Republican primaries after moving to Will County, Illinois.
- 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2024: He votes in US general elections.
- May 2025: Robert Francis Prevost is elected Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope.
- 3 October 2026: He requests a mail-in ballot from the Will County clerk’s office, according to The Chicago Sun-Times.
- 23 October 2026: Radio station WJOL in Joliet first reports that Leo has requested a mail-in ballot.
- 30 October 2026: The Vatican confirms on Friday morning that Leo has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago.
- 3 November 2026: US midterm elections take place.
Frequently asked questions
Has a pope ever voted in a US election before?
Not that is known. Pope Leo XIV is the first sitting pope known to have voted in a US election, and he may also be the first pope to vote in any secular democratic election.
How did Pope Leo XIV vote?
By mail-in ballot. The Vatican confirmed he submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago for the Illinois midterm elections. He requested the ballot on 3 October through the Will County clerk’s office.
Who did Pope Leo XIV vote for?
That has not been disclosed, and it should not be guessed. The Vatican confirmed only that he voted, not his choices in any race.
What elections are on his ballot?
Reports say his Illinois ballot includes the governor’s race, the Senate race to succeed Dick Durbin, and a House race. The midterms take place on 3 November 2026.
Is Pope Leo XIV a US citizen?
Yes. He was born in Chicago, holds US citizenship, and also holds Peruvian citizenship from his years living and working in Peru, where the Vatican says he voted whenever he was eligible.
Why is this vote historic?
Because no reigning pope had previously been known to take part in an American election. The vote combines two firsts in one act: a sitting pope voting, and an American pope voting in his home country’s elections.
Related coverage
Read more in the US News section, including the midterm campaign and voting stories linked above.