Vatican confirms Pope Leo XIV submitted mail-in ballot in US midterm elections

The Holy See Press Office has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV submitted a mail-in ballot for the US midterm elections. The Pope is a US citizen born in Chicago. The Associated Press (AP) and the South China Morning Post (SCMP) say the confirmation came on Friday.

In its statement, as quoted by the BBC, the press office said: "Pope Leo XIV has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so."

BBC News, SCMP and AP each describe Leo XIV as the first pope to vote in a US election. The Holy See statement, as quoted in those reports, does not make that claim itself.

Background

According to the BBC, Leo XIV is the first US citizen to become pope. He was selected in May 2025. SCMP reports that he was formerly named Robert Prevost. According to SCMP, he has submitted ballots in every US general election since 2000 except those in 2020 and 2022. The reports do not explain why. The BBC's account of the statement says his past voting included his years in Peru.

The BBC, citing NBC News, reports that the Pope requested his ballot from the Will County Clerk's Office on 3 October. AP and SCMP say the ballot was submitted "in Chicago". The reports do not reconcile these descriptions. They do not include confirmation from Illinois or Will County election officials, and they do not describe which races the Pope voted on.

The BBC reports that, less than two weeks after the ballot request, the Vatican announced the Pope had undergone surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after a lung cancer diagnosis. According to the BBC, the Vatican confirmed last week that the Pope, aged 71, will travel as planned to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in early November.

According to the BBC, the midterm elections will be held nationwide on 3 November. Early voting has begun in most states. The results will determine which party controls Congress.

What each side says

The Holy See Press Office said: "The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes."

The BBC reports that the Pope has clashed with the Trump administration over issues including immigration enforcement and the US-Israel war with Iran. According to the BBC, tensions escalated in April, after the Pope called for peace following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. In remarks the BBC places after that call, US President Donald Trump said: "I don't think he's doing a very good job." He also said: "We don't like a Pope that's going to say that it's OK to have a nuclear weapon," and "I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo."

According to Reuters, as cited by the BBC, the Pope responded: "The mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace."

The reports do not include any response from the Trump administration or US political parties to the Pope's vote.

Analysis

The vote is confirmed by the Holy See itself. The description of it as a first for a pope comes from news organisations, not from the Vatican statement. The vote brings together two roles: head of a global church and private citizen of one country. Some observers may see it as a routine civic act, which is how the press office framed it. Others may read it against the reported tensions with the Trump administration. The reports do not show how the Pope voted, so any reading of partisan intent would be speculation. Open questions include the voting jurisdiction and why he did not vote in 2020 and 2022.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.