Pope Leo XIV Votes by Mail in US Midterms, Vatican Confirms
Pope Leo XIV has voted in the US midterm elections by mail ballot, the Vatican confirmed on Friday (30 October), making him the first pope known to vote in an American election. The Chicago-born pontiff, who was elected in May 2025 as the first pope from the United States, remains a registered voter in Illinois.
“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 said in a statement. “The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes.”
How Did Pope Leo Vote?
The Chicago Sun-Times first reported that the pope, born Robert Francis Prevost, had requested a mail ballot through the Will County clerk’s office in Illinois. Kim Fladhammer, the clerk’s office chief of staff, confirmed to NBC News that the request was made on 3 October and that the ballot was sent to his residence in Vatican City.
The Vatican said the pope “has submitted his mail-in ballot”, in keeping with what it called a “long-standing practice of civic participation”. At the time NBC News published its report, the clerk’s office said it had not yet received the completed ballot, which must travel from Vatican City to Joliet, Illinois. The midterm elections take place on Tuesday 3 November.
Has a Pope Voted in a US Election Before?
No. As the first American pope, Leo is the first pontiff in a position to vote in a US election. The Vatican also said that during his years living in Peru, where he served as a missionary and later as a bishop, he voted there whenever he was eligible.
Popes have traditionally avoided any appearance of taking sides in national politics, and the Vatican statement did not say how he voted. The press office framed the vote as a civic duty rather than a political statement.
Why Is the Pope’s Vote Drawing Attention?
Leo has been an outspoken critic of some of President Donald Trump’s policies since becoming pope, including the US war against Iran and the administration’s treatment of immigrants, NBC News reported. In April, after Leo called for peace in the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on 28 February, Trump called the pope “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy” on social media and said he was “not a big fan of Pope Leo”.
NBC News also noted that the pope had lung cancer surgery this month. The Vatican’s statement did not refer to his health.
Can Americans Abroad Vote in US Elections?
Yes. US citizens living overseas can usually vote by absentee ballot in federal elections, using the address where they last lived in the United States. Deadlines and rules for returning ballots vary by state. Americans abroad also have other obligations at home: our guide to digital nomad taxes for Americans explains US tax filing rules for citizens living overseas, and our explainer on whether moving abroad is worth it covers the practical trade-offs.
Featured image: Pope Leo XIV with Italian Senate Secretary General Federico Silvio Toniato, from the Italian Senate via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. File photo.
Sources
- Holy See Press Office — Statement on the Holy Father’s participation in elections (30 October 2026).
- NBC News — Pope Leo casts absentee ballot in Illinois to vote in the midterms (30 October 2026).
- Chicago Sun-Times — Vatican confirms Pope Leo voted in midterm election, submitted mail ballot (30 October 2026).
