03.11.2026 23:11
Pope Leo XIV, head of the Vatican State, voted by mail in the U.S. congressional midterm elections. The Vatican confirmed that the Pope, a U.S. citizen, sent his ballot to Chicago, and it is stated that Leo XIV is the first Pope known to have voted in a political election. The Vatican announced that the Pope sees participation in democratic processes as a right and duty of citizenship.
It was reported that Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Vatican State, voted by mail in the congressional midterm elections in the United States (US), of which he is a citizen.
In a written statement from the Vatican Press Office, it was recalled that Pope Leo XIV is originally American and also holds citizenship in Peru, where he served for many years, and it was stated that as a US citizen he voted in the midterm elections in his country.
HE EXERCISED HIS RIGHT AS A CITIZEN
The statement said, "The Pope exercised this right as a US citizen during the periods when he had the right to vote. The Pope expressed his belief in citizens' right and duty to participate in democratic processes. The Vatican Press Office confirms that the Pope sent his mail-in ballot to Chicago in line with this long-standing tradition of civic participation."
THE FIRST POPE TO VOTE
It was noted that during the years the Pope resided in Peru, he also exercised this right during the periods when he had the right to vote. In this respect, Leo XIV is thought to be the first Pope known to have voted in a political election.
After the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, the then-cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the US, who was elected Pope at the Conclave (Papal Election) on May 8, 2025 at the Vatican, the center of the Catholic Church, took the name "Pope Leo XIV."