Pope Leo XIV has become the first pontiff to vote in a United States general election after casting a mail-in ballot in Chicago, where he was born.
asserted
he → become → Chicago
The Vatican confirmed on Friday that the pope submitted a mail-in ballot in the city ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, citing his longstanding belief in civic participation.
asserted
pope → confirm → participation
Recommended Stories
list of 3 items- list 1 of 3What polls say as Trump reverses course on cancelled campaign rallies
- list 2 of 3Trump reverses course, reinstates cancelled campaign rallies
- list 3 of 3US appeals court again rejects Trump bid to set aside California ballots
Leo, formerly Robert Prevost, “has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen”, as he has done “whenever he was eligible to do so”, the Vatican’s press office said.
asserted
office → say → citizen
“The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” it added.
asserted
it → express → processes
The Vatican did not say which candidates Leo voted for.
asserted
Leo → say → candidates
In a note commenting on Leo’s vote, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops urged Catholics to put “our faith before our politics” and “uphold human dignity and the common good”.
asserted
Conference → comment → dignity
“In voting, our Holy Father sets the example that encourages each citizen to exercise their civic responsibility,” said the conference’s director of public affairs, Chieko Noguchi.
asserted
director → vote → affairs
Leo is a citizen not only of the US but also of Peru, where he lived as a priest and bishop for more than 20 years, as well as of the Vatican, where he is head of state.
asserted
he → live → state
US federal law allows citizens living abroad, even those working for foreign governments, to vote via absentee ballot.
asserted
citizens → allow → ballot
Americans working for foreign governments are not automatically at risk of losing their US citizenship, but the US State Department says on its website that it may “actively review” the citizenship status of Americans who “serve as a foreign head of state, foreign head of government, or foreign minister”.
uncertain
who → work → government
In this year’s midterm elections, voters in the solidly Democratic state of Illinois, where Chicago is located, will select a successor to retiring Senator Dick Durbin and choose whether to re-elect Governor JB Pritzker.
asserted
Chicago → locate → Pritzker
Leo requested a mail-in ballot on October 3, just 10 days before he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung.
asserted
he → request → lung
He has slowly been resuming his activities at the Vatican after being released from the hospital on October 17.
asserted
He → resume → October
Since 2000, Leo has voted in five primary elections as Prevost, requesting Democratic ballots twice and Republican ballots three times, according to records held by the Illinois State Board of Elections, which do not show which candidates he supported.
uncertain
he → vote → candidates
Illinois voters must declare a party preference to receive a primary ballot.
asserted
voters → declare → ballot
While registered in heavily-Democratic Cook County, Prevost requested Democratic primary ballots in 2008 and 2010.
asserted
Prevost → register → 2008
After moving to the more conservative Will County, he requested Republican primary ballots in 2012, 2014 and 2016.
asserted
he → move → 2012
Clashes with Trump
Since Leo’s ascent to the papacy in May 2025, US President Donald Trump has clashed with the pontiff several times.
uncertain
Trump → clash → pontiff
Trump criticised the pope for repeatedly condemning the US-Israel war on Iran and for challenging his administration’s crackdown on immigrants.
asserted
Trump → criticise → immigrants
Earlier this year, Trump called Leo “weak” and captive to the “radical left”, kicking off a remarkable back-and-forth argument.
asserted
Trump → call → argument
Leo responded by telling reporters: “I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the church works for.”
asserted
church → respond → what
The Aporia
