Pope Leo becomes first pontiff to vote in US general election

Pope Leo XIV has become the first pontiff to vote in a United States general election after casting a mail-in ballot in Chicago, where he was born.

Key points

• While registered in heavily-Democratic Cook County, Prevost requested Democratic primary ballots in 2008 and 2010.
• Since Leo's ascent to the papacy in May 2025, US President Donald Trump has clashed with the pontiff a number of times.
• Leo requested a mail-in ballot on October 3, just 10 days before he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung.
• "In voting, our Holy Father sets the example that encourages each citizen to exercise their civic responsibility, " remarked the conference's director of public affairs, Chieko Noguchi.
• "The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes, " it continued.

For context, the Vatican confirmed on Friday that the pope submitted a mail-in ballot in the city ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, citing his longstanding belief in civic participation.

As he has done "whenever he was eligible to do so", the Vatican's press office remarked, leo, formerly Robert Prevost, "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen".

"The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes, " it continued. The Vatican did not say which candidates Leo voted for.

In a note commenting on Leo's vote, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops pressed Catholics to put "our faith before our politics" and "uphold human dignity and the common good".

As well as of the Vatican, where he is head of state, leo is a citizen not only of the US but additionally of Peru, where he lived as a priest and bishop for more than 20 years.

US federal law allows citizens living abroad, even those working for foreign governments, to vote via absentee ballot.

Americans working for foreign governments are not automatically at risk of losing their US citizenship, but the US State Department notes on its website that it may "actively review" the citizenship status of Americans who "serve as a foreign head of state, foreign head of government, or foreign minister".

In this year's midterm elections, voters in the solidly ⁠Democratic state of Illinois, where Chicago is located, will select a successor to retiring Senator Dick Durbin and choose whether to re-elect Governor JB Pritzker.

Leo requested a mail-in ballot on October 3, just 10 days before he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung. He has gradually been resuming his activities at the Vatican after being issued from the hospital on October 17.

Since 2000, Leo has voted in five primary elections as Prevost, requesting Democratic ballots twice and Republican ballots three times, according to records held by the Illinois State Board of Elections. It do not show which candidates he backed.

Illinois voters must declare a party preference to receive a primary ballot.

While registered in heavily-Democratic Cook County, Prevost 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.

Trump criticised the pope for repeatedly condemning the US-Israel war on Iran and for challenging his administration's crackdown on immigrants.

Earlier this year, Trump called Leo "subdued" and captive to the "radical left", kicking off a remarkable back-and-forth argument.

Leo responded by telling 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."

Taken together, the developments around pope Leo becomes first pontiff to vote in US general election point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.