Pope casts first US ballot

Pope Leo XIV became the first pope to vote in a United States general election.

The Vatican announced on Friday that the pontiff, who was born in Chicago, mailed his ballot in the city before the midterms. The Holy See cited his long-held belief in civic duty. A statement from the press office noted that Leo, formerly known as Robert Prevost, has exercised his right to vote as a US citizen whenever he has been eligible. The office added that he also voted while residing in Peru during applicable election cycles.

The Chicago Sun-Times first reported that Prevost requested an absentee ballot on Oct 3. The outlet cited the chief of staff for the Will County secretary of state, who said the pope is registered at an address in New Lenox. It remains unclear how he returned the completed ballot. His brother, John Prevost, was in Rome this week leading parishioners from St. Jude’s, an Augustinian parish in New Lenox. The elder Prevost attends mass at that church, and Leo delivered a talk there in 2024 while still a cardinal.

Illinois state election records show that Robert Prevost has voted in five primary elections since 2000. He requested Democratic ballots twice and Republican ballots three times. The records do not specify which candidates he supported. In Illinois, voters must declare a party preference to receive a primary ballot, though no such declaration is required for general elections. Prevost was registered in Cook County, a heavily Democratic area, when he requested Democratic ballots for the 2008 and 2010 primaries. After moving to the more conservative suburban Will County, he requested Republican ballots for the 2012, 2014, and 2016 primaries. The records indicate he voted in every general election since 2000, with the exception of 2020 and 2022.

The Vatican statement emphasized that the Holy Father expresses his conviction in the right and duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes.