Pope Leo XIV has taken another unprecedented step during his papacy, confirming that he cast an absentee ballot by mail in the United States midterm elections. The move marks a historic first for a reigning pontiff participating in American legislative and gubernatorial contests.
The Holy See confirmed on Friday, October 30, that the pope exercised his civic duty for the upcoming November 3 elections. The Vatican press office stated that the pontiff acted in accordance with a long-standing personal practice of political participation whenever he has been eligible.
Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, the pope holds dual citizenship and retains the legal right as an American citizen to vote from abroad. Voters in his home state of Illinois are deciding critical legislative races, including a seat in the United States Senate and the potential reelection of Democratic Governor Jay Robert Pritzker.
Vatican officials noted that voting is a consistent habit for the pontiff. In addition to his American citizenship, he acquired Peruvian nationality in 2015 after spending years working in the South American country as a missionary, where administration officials confirmed he routinely exercised his franchise during his years of residence.
The confirmation arrives just weeks after Pope Leo XIV broke with centuries of Vatican tradition by personally disclosing his lung cancer diagnosis in early October. The latest disclosure further highlights a papacy increasingly defined by unexpected transparency, bridging the gap between his spiritual office and his continuing civic identity.
