Pope Leo XIV Becomes First Pontiff to Vote in US Midterm Elections

Pope Leo XIV has cast his ballot in the United States midterm elections, marking a historic first for a reigning pontiff. The Vatican confirmed on Friday that the Chicago-born Pope voted remotely ahead of the November 3 elections.

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

According to the announcement, the Pope exercised his right to vote as a U.S. citizen whenever eligible. Holding dual citizenship in the United States and Peru—where he lived for over two decades as a missionary priest and later a bishop—he has also previously voted in Peruvian elections. Reports of the ballot were first published by a local Chicago newspaper, with a senior county official noting that the pontiff is registered to vote in a Chicago suburb. He requested his absentee ballot on October 3, just ten days before undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung.

Illinois voters are deciding whether to grant Governor J.B. Pritzker a third term and choosing a successor for a retiring Democratic senator. Nationally, Democrats appear positioned to retain control of at least one chamber of Congress, with polling models indicating strong chances in the House and a narrow edge in the Senate.

Election records in Illinois indicate that the Pope previously cast ballots in both Democratic and Republican primaries, participating in Democratic primaries in 2008 and 2010, and Republican primaries three times between 2012 and 2016.

Leo XIV's criticism of the war with Iran and U.S. immigration policies previously sparked a public feud with the Trump administration. In April, Donald Trump criticized the pontiff on Truth Social, calling him weak on crime and poor on foreign policy. The Pope responded during a flight to Algeria, stating he would continue to speak out loudly against war and harbored no fear of the administration. The public dispute has since subsided.

The 71-year-old pontiff underwent surgery for lung cancer on October 13, and the Vatican reported he requires no further treatment. Since his discharge from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on October 17, he has gradually returned to his duties and is scheduled to embark on a 12-day apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru next week.