Pope Leo XIV votes by mail in US midterm elections, Vatican says
The Vatican press office said the American-born pontiff mailed in a ballot to Chicago for the US midterms, a first for him, without saying whom he backed.
Vatican City, Vatican City. Pope Leo XIV voted by mail in the US midterm elections, the Vatican press office announced on Friday, marking a historic first for the American-born pontiff. The Vatican did not disclose which candidates he supported.
Statement from the Vatican
The press office said the pope had sent his ballot to Chicago, describing the step as consistent with a long tradition of civic participation. It added that he believes citizens have both a right and a duty to take part in democratic processes. In the words of the Vatican, “The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes.”
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RelatedPope Leo greets Villanova and Notre Dame basketball teams at the Vatican before Rome gameRegistration in Illinois
Leo, 71, was born in Chicago and is the first pope from the United States. The Chicago Sun-Times reported on Thursday, citing the Will County Clerk’s office, that he is registered to vote in Illinois under his birth name, Robert Francis Prevost. According to that report, he requested his ballot on October 3.
Voters in Illinois, a state that reliably favours Democrats, will pick a successor to retiring US Senator Dick Durbin. They will also decide whether Governor JB Pritzker gets another term.
Political backdrop
The election takes place on November 3. President Donald Trump’s falling popularity is weighing on the chances of fellow Republicans to keep their majorities in both chambers of Congress, as voters express dissatisfaction over the high cost of living and the Iran war.
Early in Leo’s papacy, Trump repeatedly criticised him, describing him as weak and as terrible on crime. In March, the pope said God does not heed the prayers of those who start wars and whose hands are stained with blood. In April, he called Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization unacceptable. He had earlier declined to join the US president’s Board of Peace initiative for Gaza.
Leo has also called for a deep reflection on how migrants are treated in the United States.
Papal election
The world’s cardinals elected Leo in May 2025 to lead the Church, which has 1.4 billion members.
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