First pontiff to vote in a U.S. election: Pope Leo XIV becomes the first to cast a mail ballot

Ballot cast in Chicago

The Vatican confirmed Friday that Leo submitted a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago before November’s midterm elections. It said the pope regards participation in democratic processes as both a right and a duty.

Leo has been recovering and returning to his Vatican activities since leaving the hospital on Oct. 17. Plans are also moving forward for a trip to South America next month.

A record of voting

The Vatican said Leo maintained a record of civic involvement while serving as a missionary and later bishop in Peru for nearly two decades, voting whenever he was eligible. He holds citizenship in both the United States and Peru.

Illinois State Board of Elections records list him as Robert Prevost, registered in Cook County. The Associated Press reports that he voted in five primary elections since 2000: Democratic contests in 2008 and 2019, and Republican contests in 2012, 2014 and 2016. The AP, citing Illinois election records, also reported that Leo voted in every general election from 2000 onward except those held in 2020 and 2022.

Call for public engagement

At a general audience in the Vatican last month, Leo urged the faithful to reject “all passivity and indifference” toward current events. The Vatican’s statement on his ballot likewise emphasized participation in democratic processes.