Pope Leo XIV has cast his ballot in the US midterm elections, the Vatican confirmed. The American pope cast his ballot in Chicago, where he was born and is registered to vote.
This is the first confirmed case of a sitting pope participating in an election in the United States. The Vatican press service said Leo XIV "exercised his right to vote as a citizen of the United States when he was entitled to do so."
"The Holy Father expresses his conviction that participation in the democratic process is both the right and the duty of citizens," the statement said.
The ballot was filed under his birth name
The pope is registered to vote in Illinois under his secular name, Robert Francis Prevost. The application to receive the ballot by mail was filed on October 3. The Vatican later confirmed that the ballot was sent to Chicago.
It was not reported which candidates Leo XIV voted for. His voter registration is linked to an address in New Lenox, in the Chicago area. Before being elected pope, Prevost participated in American general and primary elections.
The Vatican also specified that during his years as a priest and bishop in Peru, Leo XIV voted when he was eligible to do so.
What will be decided in Illinois
The US midterm elections will be held on November 3. In Illinois, voters will determine the successor to retiring Senator Dick Durbin. The election will also decide whether Governor J.B. Pritzker will receive a new term.
Leo XIV's vote comes after he was elected head of the Catholic Church in May 2025. He is the first American to occupy the papal throne.
The pope retained his American citizenship and continued to be eligible to participate in federal elections, despite living in the Vatican. Sending his ballot turned his personal civic participation into a historic precedent for the Catholic Church.
Sources: news.bg, vaticannews.va, apnews.com