Pope Leo becomes first pontiff to vote in US general election

What the report says

Pope Leo XIV has reportedly become the first pontiff to participate in a United States general election by casting a mail-in ballot in Chicago, according to a confirmation from the Vatican reported by Al Jazeera on Friday. The vote was submitted ahead of the November 3 midterm elections in the pope’s birthplace, while he continues to recover after recent surgery and has been gradually returning to public duties at the Vatican.

Al Jazeera reported that the Vatican described Leo, formerly Robert Prevost, as a U.S. citizen who has voted whenever he was eligible and who believes citizens have both a right and a duty to take part in democratic processes. The Vatican did not disclose which candidates he supported. The article also noted that U.S. law permits citizens living abroad to vote by absentee ballot, including some people working for foreign governments.

The report said Leo has a long voting record in Illinois primary elections, with past ballot requests split between Democratic and Republican primaries. It also placed the development in a wider political context, noting that the pope has had public disagreements with President Donald Trump over immigration and other issues. Separately, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said Catholics should place faith before politics and use voting to support human dignity and the common good.