Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope to vote in a United States general election, with the Vatican citing his long-standing belief in civic participation. Source: Crux Now.
The Holy See Press Office confirmed in a statement on Friday that the Chicago-born pontiff had submitted a mail-in ballot in Chicago ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Pope Leo, formerly Robert Prevost, “has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen” and has done so “whenever he was eligible to do so,” the Holy See press office said.
The statement said he had also voted while living in Peru whenever he was eligible.
“The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” it added.
Pope Leo’s vote was first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, which quoted the chief of staff at the Will County clerk’s office as saying the Pope, registered at a New Lenox address, requested a mail-in ballot on October 3.
It is unclear how Leo returned the ballot.
His brother, John Prevost, was in Rome last week accompanying parishioners from St Jude’s, an Augustinian-run parish in New Lenox, Illinois. The elder Prevost attends Mass there, and Pope Leo gave a talk at the parish in 2024 while still a cardinal.
Since 2000, Robert Prevost has voted in five primary elections, requesting Democratic ballots twice and Republican ballots three times, according to records held by the Illinois State Board of Elections.
The records do not show which candidates he supported. The records also show that he submitted ballots in every general election since 2000 except those in 2020 and 2022.
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Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a US general election (Crux Now)
