Pope Leo XIV Casts Mail Ballot in Historic US Midterm Vote

Pope Leo XIV has made electoral history by participating in the 2026 United States midterm elections, becoming the first pontiff to vote in a US election. The American-born pope submitted an absentee ballot from Vatican City through the mail, exercising his voting rights as a US citizen ahead of the November 3 elections.

The Vatican Press Office confirmed the development on Friday, October 30, emphasizing the pope's longstanding support for democratic participation. The announcement also confirmed that Leo exercised his voting rights whenever eligible during his years living in Peru.

"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 its statement.

The Vatican also highlighted the importance of civic responsibility in democratic societies.

"The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes," the Vatican Press Office added.

The pope, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Illinois, requested his absentee ballot on October 3. Kim Fladhammer, chief of staff at the Will County Clerk's Office, confirmed the request, according to NBC News and reporting first published by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Records identify Leo as a registered voter in New Lenox, a Chicago suburb where his brother John lives. However, NBC News reported that the clerk's office had not yet received the completed ballot at the time of its report. The ballot was being sent from Vatican City to Joliet, Illinois.

British historian and papacy author Michael Walsh described the significance of the pontiff's participation, noting that no previous pope was known to have voted in a secular democratic election.

"I don't think popes have ever voted in a democratic election before," Walsh told CNN.

Leo's electoral history extends across multiple US election cycles. Illinois election records show that he participated in Republican primaries in 2012, 2014 and 2016, while other records cited by CBS News and the Associated Press document Democratic primary participation in 2008 and 2019.

He also voted in the 2024 presidential election. His voting history reflects participation in both major political parties' primary elections, which require voters in Illinois to select a party ballot when participating in a primary.

The pope's political independence has also drawn attention because of his disagreements with President Donald Trump. Since becoming pontiff in May 2025, Leo has criticized aspects of the administration's immigration policies and its military involvement in the war against Iran.

The disagreement intensified in April when Trump publicly attacked the pope following his calls for peace after US-Israeli strikes against Iran began on February 28.

"WEAK on crime" and "terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump wrote in his social media criticism of Leo.

Trump also questioned his relationship with the pontiff during the dispute.

"I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo," Trump said.

Leo subsequently rejected the suggestion that political pressure would silence his advocacy for peace.

"No fear of the Trump administration," Leo told NBC News, describing his position toward the administration.

Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, has also criticized the pope, advising him to "be careful" when discussing theology in response to his comments about American foreign policy.

Beyond the political controversy, Leo has repeatedly encouraged Catholics to participate actively in public life. During a September 2 general audience in St. Peter's Square, he urged believers to move beyond indifference toward social and political developments.

"All passivity and indifference," Leo said in his appeal for greater civic engagement, according to Catholic News Service.

He also emphasized that religious commitment should encourage people to respond to injustice and the suffering of others.

"We cannot remain as unengaged spectators; rather, we must listen with our hearts, allow ourselves to be challenged, and become involved," Leo said.

Leo underwent lung cancer surgery earlier in October and was discharged from the hospital on October 17, according to CBS News. He has since resumed activities at the Vatican and is preparing for a planned trip to South America next month.

The November 3, 2026, midterm elections will determine all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate's 100 seats. Voters will also choose governors in 36 states, alongside numerous state and local officials.