VATICAN · UNITED STATES
Pope Leo XIV votes by mail in US midterm elections
The Holy See confirms that the pontiff sent his ballot to Chicago. His participation as a citizen puts voting and democratic responsibility back in the public conversation.
Pope Leo XIV has voted by mail in the United States midterm elections. On 30 October, the Holy See Press Office confirmed that the pontiff sent his ballot to Chicago, where he was born as Robert Francis Prevost. The statement frames the decision as the exercise of a citizen’s right and says the Pope has taken part in elections whenever he was able to do so.
What the Holy See confirmed
The official note says Leo has exercised his voting rights as a US citizen whenever he was eligible. It adds that he also voted during his years of residence in Peru when he could do so. Elected in 2025, Leo XIV retains US citizenship; for this election, his ballot was mailed to Chicago. The Vatican did not say which candidates he chose or disclose the contents of his ballot. It did not present the act as an endorsement of a party or candidate.
What is at stake on 3 November
Midterm elections take place halfway through a president’s term. On 3 November, voters will elect all 435 members of the House of Representatives and part of the Senate, alongside state and local officials in many places. The presidency is not on the ballot. The outcome can change which party controls Congress for the next two years, shaping legislation, budgets and oversight of the federal government.
Citizenship and public responsibility
The announcement carries an unusual dimension: the person who leads the Catholic Church also exercises rights connected to his country of citizenship. The Holy See described Leo’s position as a belief that taking part in democracy is both a right and a duty. That statement concerns civic participation in general; it does not identify a political choice. In a polarised campaign, the distinction matters: the pontiff’s private vote should not be turned into an endorsement that the Vatican has not made.
What is known—and what is not
It is confirmed that Leo cast a mail-in ballot sent to Chicago, and the Vatican says he has maintained a practice of voting when eligible. No information has been released about candidates, the ballot or his preferences. The news does not change the US election calendar or turn a congressional election into a presidential contest. It sits at an uncommon intersection of biography, citizenship and religious office, without evidence from which to infer how he voted.
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