Vatican City — Pope Leo XIV Votes by Mail in Illinois Election

Pope Leo XIV has voted in the Nov. 3 U.S. general election, the Vatican confirmed Friday, making him the first pope to cast a ballot in an American general election, according to the Associated Press, via ABC News. The Chicago-born pontiff, formerly Robert Prevost, submitted a mail-in ballot registered to a New Lenox address in Will County, Illinois.

What did the Vatican confirm?

The Holy See press office said Leo "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen" and has done so "whenever he was eligible to do so," per the AP report. The statement said he had also voted while living in Peru, where he spent more than 20 years as a missionary priest and bishop. "The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes," the Vatican said, according to the AP.

The Chicago Sun-Times first reported the vote, citing the chief of staff at the Will County clerk's office, who said Leo requested his mail-in ballot on Oct. 3 — 10 days before he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung, the AP reported. Leo was released from the hospital Oct. 17 and has been gradually resuming Vatican duties. It is unclear how the completed ballot was returned, according to the wire report.

How has Leo voted in past elections?

Illinois State Board of Elections records cited by the AP show Robert Prevost has voted in five primary elections since 2000, requesting Democratic ballots in 2008 and 2010 while registered in Cook County, then Republican ballots in 2012, 2014 and 2016 after moving to more conservative Will County. The records do not identify which candidates he backed; Illinois law requires a party declaration only for primary ballots, not general elections. He has voted in every general election since 2000 except 2020 and 2022, the AP reported.

What's on the Nov. 3 Illinois ballot?

Illinois voters are deciding whether to give Gov. JB Pritzker a third term and are filling the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Democrat Dick Durbin, according to the AP.

Why does the vote draw attention amid Trump tensions?

Leo has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump for condemning the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran and calling for dignified treatment of immigrants; Trump earlier this year called the pope "weak" and captive to the "radical left," per the AP. Leo responded to reporters en route to Algeria: "I'm not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the church works for."

What to watch

• Whether the Vatican discloses any further detail on how the ballot was transmitted from Rome to Will County.
• Results in the Illinois governor's race and the open U.S. Senate contest on Nov. 3.
• Any further public comment from Leo or the Holy See press office on U.S. politics ahead of the midterms.
• Reaction from the Trump administration, which has previously criticized the pope's public statements.