Pope Leo XIV cast a mail-in ballot in his hometown of Chicago, becoming the first pope in history to vote in a United States election.
Quick Take
- The Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo voted by mail as a U.S. citizen in the recent midterm election.
- Leo, born in Chicago, submitted his ballot in his native city before traveling to Latin America.
- Speaking to reporters on his papal plane, Leo said he is “proud to be an American” and proud to use his right to vote.
- The milestone marks a first in papal history, since no prior pope had voted in a U.S. election.
Vatican Confirms The Historic Ballot
The Holy See press office made it official. Pope Leo “has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so,” the statement said. Reporters quickly traced the ballot to Chicago, the city where Leo, born Robert Prevost, grew up before rising through the Church to become the first American-born pope.
The timing mattered. The confirmation landed just days before the midterm elections, when control of Congress was on the line. Leo’s vote became part of a bigger story: a sitting pope, still a registered American voter, taking part in the same civic process as millions of his fellow citizens back home.
Leo Speaks Directly To Reporters About His Vote
Leo did not just let the Vatican speak for him. On November 6, flying from Rome to Montevideo for a Latin America trip, he answered questions from journalists traveling with him. “I’m proud to be an American and to exercise the right” to vote, he told them, according to America magazine’s account of the exchange.
Multiple outlets, including CBS News, the Associated Press, and CNN, carried nearly identical quotes from that same press encounter. The consistency across independent newsrooms leaves little doubt about what Leo said and when he said it.
A Pope With Deep Illinois Roots
Leo’s connection to Illinois runs deeper than symbolism. Reporting indicates he remained on the Illinois voter rolls even after becoming pope, a detail that underscores how seriously he treats his American citizenship. His mail-in ballot was requested and returned through ordinary Illinois election channels, the same system used by any other Chicago-area voter.
That detail matters to American conservatives who value civic participation and personal responsibility. A pope choosing to engage in the democratic process, rather than treating his office as above it, reflects a respect for the ballot box that transcends politics. Voting is a duty tied to citizenship, and Leo appears to have taken that duty seriously despite his unique position.
Why The Story Resonates Beyond The Vatican
Coverage of the midterms framed the results as a rebuke of President Trump and his policies, according to the Associated Press. Yet Leo reportedly declined to weigh in on the outcome itself, keeping his comments focused on the act of voting rather than the result. That restraint fits a pope trying to balance his American identity with his global religious role.
Vatican News, the Holy See’s own outlet, also covered Leo’s remarks during the same Latin America trip, reinforcing that the account came directly from within Church channels rather than secondhand speculation. That direct sourcing gives the story unusual clarity for a Vatican matter, which often moves through more guarded statements.
Whatever one thinks of the politics swirling around the midterms, the simple fact stands out. An American-born pope reached back across an ocean to mail in a ballot from Chicago, then told reporters directly why it mattered to him. It is a small act with a big historical footnote attached.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, apnews.com, cnn.com, americamagazine.org, vaticannews.va
