Vatican confirms Pope Leo voted in midterm election, submitted mail ballot in Chicago

The Vatican on Friday confirmed that Pope Leo has submitted his mail ballot in Chicago, making him the first pontiff in history to vote in a U.S. election.

"Pope Leo XIV has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so. The Holy See Press Office confirms that in keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation, he has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago," the Vatican said in a statement on Friday.

The Vatican also confirmed that the pope "exercised his right to vote whenever he was eligible to do so," including when he lived in Peru.

"The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes," the statement says.

The Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday reported that Chicago-born Pope Leo is still a registered voter in Illinois and requested a mail ballot for the midterm elections on Oct. 3 through the Will County clerk's office.

“Robert Francis Prevost is on the list of individuals who requested a vote by mail ballot for the upcoming election,” Kim Fladhammer, Will County clerk’s office chief of staff, told the Sun-Times.

Records show Prevost voted in the 2012, 2014 and 2016 Republican primaries, as well as in the 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2024 general elections. He also voted in Democratic primaries in 2008 and 2010. He did not vote in Illinois’ March primary. In Illinois, voters do not have to register by party and can choose parties for their primary ballot.

The pope has now weighed in on the U.S. Senate race to replace Sen. Dick Durbin and Gov. JB Pritzker’s reelection bid, as well as Will County judicial and county races, among other races.

The Illinois State Board of Elections on Thursday said any Illinois registered voter can vote by mail and U.S. citizens who are overseas have the right to do so with a law called UOCAVA, The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

Pritzker made note of the pope voting on social media on Thursday, writing, "If the Pope can vote all the way from Vatican City, you can too!"