In a papal first, Pope Leo XIV casts ballot in US midterm elections
Leo XIV has reportedly become the first pope to vote in an American election, and likely the first to vote in a democratic, secular election, Qazinform News Agency cited Anadolu Agency.
Pope Leo XIV has cast his ballot for next week’s US midterm elections, reportedly becoming the first sitting pontiff to vote in a secular, democratic election, the Vatican announced Friday.
The first American pope "has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago," the Vatican said in a statement.
"The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes," the statement added.
As a US citizen, Leo is registered to vote in New Lenox, a Chicago suburb where his brother, John, lives, according to voter records.
Voting early and by mail is common in US elections, depending on the local laws, as US elections are run by states, not the federal government in Washington.
Before becoming Pope Leo in May 2025, the man born Robert Francis Prevost took part in both Republican and Democratic party primaries and voted in the 2024 US presidential election, according to official records.
As reported earlier, Pope Leo XIV's postoperative recovery was showing steady improvement, according to doctors treating him at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.