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Chicago Native Pope Leo XIV Casts First US Election Ballot
· Confirmed
In Short: Chicago native Pope Leo XIV has made history by casting a mail-in ballot in the upcoming US midterm elections, becoming the first pontiff to vote in a U.S. election.
Chicago native Pope Leo XIV has made history by casting a mail-in ballot in the upcoming US midterm elections, becoming the first pontiff to vote in a U.S. election.
The pope, formerly Robert Prevost, is registered as a Will County voter in New Lenox, Illinois, where his brother, John Prevost, lives.
Leo XIV requested a mail-in ballot to be sent to his New Lenox address on October 7, and the ballot was submitted ahead of the November midterms.
The Vatican press office confirmed the historic vote, stating that the pope regards participation in democratic processes as both a fundamental right and a civic duty.
White, author of the book “Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy,” noted that Leo XIV has frequently called for “a better kind of politics” and encourages active civic engagement.
Leo XIV’s vote underscores his belief in the importance of citizens participating in democratic processes, a stance he has repeatedly emphasized.
The Chicago Tribune reported that if a staff member recognizes the pope’s name as they go through the mail-in ballots, those in the room might want to touch it to receive a blessing.
Leo XIV has also voted in the 2024 US presidential election, marking his continued engagement with American democratic affairs.
Leo XIV’s actions reflect his deep commitment to civic participation and his desire to model active engagement for U.S. citizens.
Leo XIV’s decision to vote in the US midterm elections is part of a broader effort to encourage greater civic participation among Americans, including on major public issues such as the US-Israel war involving Iran.
Background
Chicago native Pope Leo XIV has made history by casting a mail-in ballot in the upcoming US midterm elections, becoming the first pontiff to vote in a U.S. election.
Pope Leo XIV visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Regina Pacis in Ostia Lido on Sunday, marking his first parish visit in the Diocese of Rome during his pontificate.
What's confirmed
- Chicago native Pope Leo XIV has cast a local mail-in ballot ahead of the November midterms, making history as the first pontiff to vote in a U.S.
- “Pope Leo XIV has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen whenever he was eligible to do so,” the Vatican press office said in a statement.
- He also voted in the 2024 US presidential election.
- "In keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation, he has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago," the Holy See Press Office said in a statement.
What's still developing
- “Medicine must never become the servant of programmed death,” he once said.
- The most anticipated return: Leo XIV returns today to the embrace of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano The Pope makes a pilgrimage this September 7 to the historic Marian shrine, on an official trip that rekindles the deep devotion that marked his first steps after his election Today, September 7, on the eve of the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, Pope Leo XIV is making one of the most significant Marian appearances of his pontificate by returning to the Basilica-Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano.
- Archbishop Laurent Ulrich said the Mass would be a “historic celebration”.
- In a deeply emotional moment, Cardinal Ernest Simoni—often called a “living martyr of communism”—presented Pope Leo XIV with a relic of Albanian martyrs who suffered persecution under a brutal regime.
- Pope Leo XIV called on France to defend human dignity, promote peace and protect the common good as he began his four-day apostolic journey to the country on September 25.
- A registered voter seeking a Will County vote-by-mail ballot must submit an application, according to the Will County Clerk’s Office.
- Pope Leo XIV issued the decree granting Sheen the title of Blessed, while Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, serving as the Pope’s legate and principal celebrant, read the apostolic letter during the beatification Mass.
- British historian Michael Walsh, who has written several books on the papacy, said the development could also make Leo XIV the first pope to vote in a secular democratic election.
- Archbishop John Wester urged the faithful to develop an “appreciation for the gift of water” amid major ecological challenges in the region.
- “May Turkey be a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples, in service of a just and lasting peace,” he said, speaking in front of a giant globe.