Pope Leo XIV has voted in the U.S. midterm elections by mail, the Vatican confirmed Friday, making him the first pope known to cast a ballot in an American election.
The Holy See Press Office said the Chicago-born pontiff "exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen" whenever he was eligible, and that he had submitted a mail-in ballot in Illinois.
The Chicago Sun-Times first reported that Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, requested a ballot on Oct. 3 from the Will County clerk's office. He is registered at an address in New Lenox, a Chicago suburb.
As of Friday, the clerk's office had not yet received the completed ballot, NBC News reported. It will have to travel from Vatican City to Joliet.
Leo became the first American pope in May 2025. Requesting the ballot shows he has not given up his U.S. citizenship, the National Catholic Reporter noted. Records show he also cast an absentee ballot in the 2024 general election.
His voting history crosses party lines. According to Axios, he voted in Democratic primaries in 2008 and 2010 while living in Cook County, then in Republican primaries after moving to more conservative Will County.
The Vatican statement said Leo also voted whenever he could during his years living in Peru. It did not disclose his choices this year.
Leo has been critical of the Trump administration, NBC News noted. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops praised the vote, saying it sets an example for citizens to exercise their civic responsibility, the National Catholic Reporter reported.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.