VATICAN CITY-(MaraviPost)-Pope Leo XIV has made an unprecedented entry into American electoral history after submitting a mail-in ballot for the November 3, 2026, midterm elections, becoming the first pontiff known to vote in a United States election.
The development, confirmed by the Vatican on Friday, October 30, has also sparked historical interest, with experts suggesting that the Chicago-born leader of the Catholic Church could be the first pope known to participate in a secular democratic election while serving as pontiff.
The 71-year-old pope, born Robert Francis Prevost, remains a United States citizen despite his election as head of the Roman Catholic Church in May 2025. He reportedly submitted his ballot by mail in Illinois, where he is registered as a voter under his birth name.
The Vatican said the Pope had exercised his voting rights in keeping with his longstanding commitment to civic participation, adding that he had voted whenever he was eligible to do so, including during his years living in Peru.
“The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” the Holy See press office said in a statement.
His participation is particularly significant because he occupies two unusual positions: he is the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics worldwide and the head of the Holy See, a sovereign entity, while retaining his American citizenship.
According to information reported by the Chicago Sun-Times and confirmed by officials at the Will County Clerk’s Office, Prevost is registered at an address in New Lenox, a suburb southwest of Chicago. He requested a mail-in ballot ahead of the upcoming election.
Election records also indicate that he has participated in previous American elections, including presidential contests and both Republican and Democratic party primaries. However, those records do not disclose the candidates he supported.
British historian Michael Walsh, who has written extensively about the papacy, told CNN that he was unaware of previous instances of popes voting in democratic elections.
The development has therefore drawn attention beyond the Catholic Church, highlighting the unusual intersection between religious leadership, citizenship and participation in democratic institutions.
The 2026 United States midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, when voters will elect members of Congress and decide several state and local contests. The elections will determine the political balance in the US Congress and influence the direction of the country’s legislative agenda for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term.
Pope Leo’s decision to participate comes amid his repeated public appeals for civic responsibility, peace and dialogue. He has encouraged citizens to engage with political leaders and use their voices to promote peaceful solutions to national and international challenges.
His voting record has also attracted attention because of his public disagreements with the Trump administration over issues including immigration policy and the war involving Iran. Nevertheless, the Vatican’s announcement focused on his exercise of citizenship and the importance he attaches to democratic participation, without disclosing his electoral preferences.
The episode presents a rare historical moment: a sitting pope participating in the electoral process of the country where he was born, while continuing to lead the Catholic Church from the Vatican.
For Pope Leo XIV, the ballot is not simply a personal exercise of citizenship. It has opened a wider conversation about the relationship between religious leadership, democratic rights and civic responsibility in modern society.
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