Vatican confirms Pope Leo XIV cast ballot in Illinois midterms

The Vatican confirmed on Friday that Pope Leo XIV cast a vote in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. The pontiff, who was born in Chicago and holds both American and Peruvian citizenship, submitted a mail-in ballot for the Illinois contest scheduled for Nov. 3. This marks the first time a sitting pope has voted in a U.S. general election.

The Holy See’s press office stated that Leo, formerly known as Robert Prevost, has exercised his voting rights as a U.S. citizen whenever eligible. The statement noted that he also voted while residing in Peru for more than 20 years as a missionary priest and bishop. The office emphasized his conviction that citizens have both the right and the duty to participate in democratic processes.

Federal law allows U.S. citizens living abroad or working for foreign governments to vote via absentee ballot. While serving as head of state for the Vatican does not automatically strip U.S. citizenship, the State Department notes it may review the status of such officials. Leo’s vote was initially reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, which cited the chief of staff at the Will County Clerk’s office. Records show the pope, registered at a New Lenox address, requested his ballot on Oct. 3.

The timing of the request was tight. Leo requested the ballot just 10 days before undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. He has been slowly resuming his duties at the Vatican since being discharged from the hospital on Oct. 17. It is not yet clear how he returned the ballot. His older brother, John Prevost, has been in Rome this week with parishioners from St. Jude’s, an Augustinian parish in New Lenox where Leo preached in 2024 while a cardinal.

In the general election, Illinois voters will decide whether Gov. JB Pritzker wins a third term. They will also fill a vacant Senate seat left by the retirement of Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin. No state ballot initiatives are included. President Donald Trump is not on the ballot but has campaigned heavily to retain Republican control of the House and Senate for the final two years of his second term.

Illinois election records show Prevost has voted in five primaries since 2000. He requested Democratic primary ballots twice in 2008 and 2010 while registered in Cook County. After moving to the more conservative Will County, he requested Republican primary ballots in 2012, 2014, and 2016. The records indicate he voted in every general election since 2000 except for 2020 and 2022.

Leo’s relationship with the Trump administration has been marked by public tension. Trump has criticized the pope for condemning the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and for advocating for dignified treatment of immigrants. Earlier this year, Trump called Leo weak and a captive of the radical left, sparking a public exchange during the pope’s April trip to Africa. Leo responded that he was not afraid of the U.S. government and would continue speaking firmly against war.

Vatican Foreign Minister Archbishop Richard Paul Gallagher said the dispute has cooled in recent months. He stated that the Holy See uses the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, as an effective channel for communication. Gallagher noted there has been no need for more direct contact. Leo and Trump have not spoken by phone since the pope’s election in May 2025, though Leo recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky.

Leo has consistently monitored U.S. politics. He has called for human treatment of immigrants following Trump’s deportation program. Recently, he declared the death penalty inadmissible on social media, a move that coincided with the U.S. announcement of plans to livestream a firing squad execution, which were later scrapped. In 2025, he expressed disappointment that Illinois approved a law allowing medically assisted death, a practice condemned by the Catholic Church.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged Catholics to put faith before politics in a note commenting on the vote. Chieko Noguchi, the conference’s public affairs director, said that by voting, the pope sets an example for every citizen to exercise civic responsibility.