Pope Leo XIV becomes first pontiff to vote in a US election

What the report says

Pope Leo XIV has cast a mail-in ballot in Illinois for the upcoming US midterm elections, according to BBC World News. The Vatican said the pontiff views participation in democratic processes as both a right and a duty for citizens, and added that he has voted when eligible during earlier periods of his life, including while living in Peru. The report says this makes him the first pope known to have voted in a US election.

Leo, who was born in Chicago and became pope in May 2025, is also the first US citizen to lead the Catholic Church. The BBC noted that his relationship with the Trump administration has been uneasy, with disagreements over immigration enforcement and the US-Israel conflict involving Iran. Those tensions became more visible after the pope spoke publicly about peace and Trump responded critically.

The midterms will determine control of Congress and could shape the final years of Trump’s presidency. BBC News reported that early voting has already begun in most states, while election day is set for 3 November. It also said the pope requested his ballot from the Will County Clerk’s Office on 3 October, and that the Vatican later confirmed he remains scheduled to travel in South America in early November.