On a Friday in late October, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago and now 71, had cast a mail-in ballot in the American midterms, making him the first pontiff ever to take part in a US general election. He has said nothing about whom he chose, and the silence itself carries weight in a moment when the republic's narrow majorities hang in balance and the Church's leader has spent his pontificate in open disagreement with the American president. A citizen's quiet act of civic duty, performed from the Vatican, sits uneasily between the private ballot and
Pope Leo XIV Casts Mail-In Ballot in US Midterms, Vatican Confirms, Without Revealing Choice
The first pontiff to vote in a United States general election
Mark
Why is this a story at all? Plenty of Americans vote by mail.
Mimi
Because no pope has done it in a US general election before. The Vatican confirmed it on Friday, and it was careful to frame it as a citizen exercising a right he has used whenever he was eligible.
Mark
Is there evidence of that habit?
Mimi
Yes. Illinois election records show Robert Prevost voting in every general election since 2000 except 2020 and 2022, plus five primaries. The Vatican says he also voted in Peru when eligible.
Luke
One thing to separate out. The Vatican's statement and the Illinois records are confirmed. The October 3 application date comes from US media, and the source here doesn't say how they learned it.
Mark
And the choice itself?
Mimi
He hasn't said. The Vatican spokesperson only said he believes in the right and duty of citizens to take part in democratic processes.
Luke
That's the key gap. His disagreements with Trump on the Iran war, migration and press freedom are documented. But they tell us what he has criticized, not how he marked a ballot. Any inference about a candidate would be speculation.
Mark
Why mention Illinois races, then?
Mimi
Because that's his home state. The governor's race and the open Senate seat after Durbin's retirement are on the ballot there. Still, the reporting doesn't say whether he voted in those contests.
Luke
Right, we don't know which races he filled in. All we know is that the ballot was submitted.
Il Polso
- The Vatican has confirmed the pope cast a mail-in ballot, a first for any pontiff in a US general election.
- Every House seat and about a third of the Senate are up on Tuesday, with Republicans fighting to hold narrow majorities.
- Illinois voters will also decide the governor's race and a Senate seat left open by Dick Durbin's retirement.
- Leo has clashed with Trump over war, migration and press freedom, and he declined the invitation to the 250th anniversary celebrations.
- The ballot's contents stay sealed, so the outcome will not show how the pope voted, and the Vatican has signaled no plans to say.
On a Friday in late October, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago and now 71, had cast a mail-in ballot in the American midterms, making him the first pontiff ever to take part in a US general election. He has said nothing about whom he chose, and the silence itself carries weight in a moment when the republic's narrow majorities hang in balance and the Church's leader has spent his pontificate in open disagreement with the American president. A citizen's quiet act of civic duty, performed from the Vatican, sits uneasily between the private ballot and the public stage, and the world is left to measure the gap.
On Friday, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo XIV has cast a mail-in ballot in the United States midterm elections, the first time a pontiff has voted in a US general election. He applied for the ballot on October 3, and the Holy See says he has exercised his right as an American citizen. He has not said who he voted for.
Leo, 71, was born in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost. Illinois election records show he has voted in most general elections since 2000, missing 2020 and 2022. He also holds Peruvian citizenship from his years as a bishop there, and the Vatican says he voted in Peru whenever he was eligible. A spokesperson said he believes in the right and duty of citizens to take part in democracy, a statement issued by an absolute monarchy that holds no elections of its own.
The ballot lands in a tight contest. Every House seat and about a third of the Senate are on the line, with Republicans defending slim majorities against a strong Democratic challenge. In Illinois, voters will decide on Governor JB Pritzker's bid for a third term and fill the Senate seat vacated by Dick Durbin.
The question of the pope's choice carries weight because of his public friction with President Trump. Leo has criticized the administration over the Iran war, migration and press freedom, and he turned down an invitation to the 250th anniversary celebrations. Trump has attacked him personally, calling him weak. Speaking in Algeria in April, Leo said he was not afraid and would keep speaking against war and for peace and dialogue among nations.
The Vatican has confirmed the vote and nothing more. Tuesday's result will not reveal how he marked his ballot, and no sign has come that the Vatican intends to say.
On Friday, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo XIV has cast a mail-in ballot in the United States midterm elections, making him the first pontiff to vote in a US general election. The election takes place on Tuesday. The pope did not say who he voted for.
Leo is 71 and was born in Chicago, Illinois, as Robert Francis Prevost. According to US media, he applied for a postal ballot on October 3. The Holy See's press office said in a statement that he "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen," and that he has done so whenever he was eligible.
The public record supports that claim. Files held by the Illinois State Board of Elections show Robert Prevost voted in every general election since 2000 except those of 2020 and 2022. The same records show five primary elections in his voting history.
He also holds Peruvian citizenship, a result of his years as a bishop in Peru. The Vatican said he voted there too, whenever he was eligible while living in the country. A Vatican spokesperson added that the pope "expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes." The statement comes from a city-state that is an absolute monarchy and holds no political elections of its own.
The ballot arrives in a tight contest. On Tuesday, every seat in the House of Representatives and roughly one third of the Senate are up for election. President Donald Trump's Republicans are trying to defend narrow majorities in both chambers against a strong Democratic challenge. In Illinois, voters will decide whether Governor JB Pritzker gets a third term, and they will also fill a Senate seat left open by the retirement of Dick Durbin, a longtime Catholic Democrat.
What the pope chose remains unknown. But his relationship with the Trump administration gives the question its charge. In the year and a half since his pontificate began, Leo has repeatedly clashed with Trump. He has criticized the president over the Iran war, migration and press freedom, and earlier this year he declined an invitation to the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The two men have not yet met in person. Trump has attacked the pontiff personally on several occasions, calling him "weak" and captive to the "radical left." Speaking during a trip to Algeria in April, Leo answered that he was not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel. He said he would keep speaking strongly against war and would keep promoting peace, dialogue and multilateralism among states.
The Vatican has confirmed that the ballot was cast, and nothing more. The result on Tuesday will not reveal how he voted, and the Vatican has given no sign that it will say.
Citazioni salienti
The pope has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen.— Holy See press office statement
I'm not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.— Pope Leo XIV, in Algeria, April
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