The story so far
- Report: Pope Leo Requested Absentee Ballot for Illinois Midterms11 sources
- Pope Leo Becomes First Pope to Vote in US MidtermsYou are hereLatest
Updated 3h ago · Politics
Pope Leo Becomes First Pope to Vote in US Midterms
Pope Leo XIV submitted a mail-in ballot for the US midterm elections, the Vatican confirmed Friday. No pope is known to have voted in a US election before.
- Oct. 3: the pope requested a mail-in ballot, a Will County official said.
- 5 primaries since 2000: two Democratic ballots, three Republican.
- He is registered in New Lenox, Illinois, where his brother John lives.
- He skipped the 2020 and 2022 general elections but voted in 2024.
Why it matters: The Vatican framed the vote as civic duty. It said the pope believes in "the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes."
- He has clashed with the Trump administration over the Iran war and immigration.
- Historian Michael Walsh said popes have likely never voted in secular elections.
How 35 sources split on this story
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35 sources · 39 articles · 43% Center coverage
Center coverage, 15 sources: The center reports the vote as a historic first, with detail on the pope's bipartisan primary record.
CTV News7hPope Leo XIV becomes first pope in history to vote in U.S. general electionYahoo News9hPope Leo casts historic U.S. vote after years of requesting both parties' primary ballotsAssociated Press12hPope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a US electionAxios10hHoly mail-in ballot: Pope Leo just made U.S. election historyBBC News10hPope Leo XIV casts historic vote in US midterm electionChicago Tribune12hPope Leo mails in Chicago-area ballot, becoming the 1st pontiff in history to vote in a US electionDeutsche Welle9hUS midterms: Pope Leo XIV casts vote by mailFortune11hPope Leo XIV becomes the first pope to vote in a U.S. general election — he’s requested GOP primary ballots 3 times and Democratic twice | FortuneKXAN Austin7hLeo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a US general electionPBS NewsHour8hLeo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general electionThe Hill10hLeo XIV becomes first pope ever to vote in US general electionThe National Desk11hPope Leo XIV becomes the first pope in history to vote in a US general electionTMZ11hPope Leo XIV Makes History as First Pope to Vote in U.S. General ElectionUSA Today11hPope Leo submitted mail ballot for midterm elections, Vatican confirmsWKBN Youngstown11hLeo XIV becomes first pope ever to vote in US general election
Left coverage, 9 sources: The left presents the vote as a historic first and places it alongside the pope's disputes with President Trump over Iran and immigration.
CNN12hPope Leo makes history by voting in US midtermsABC News12hPope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a US electionBoston.com10hPope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general electionJezebel10hThe Pope Just Made History by Casting a Midterm Vote, and I Bet We Can All Guess How He VotedLos Angeles Times11hPope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general electionPolitical Wire11hPope Leo Becomes First Pontiff to Vote in a U.S. ElectionThe Boston Globe12hPope Leo XIV is the first pope in history to vote in a US general electionThe Independent12hPope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a US general electionThe Washington Post10hPope Leo becomes first pontiff to vote in U.S. election...
Right coverage, 11 sources: The right presents the vote as a history-making moment, relying on the same wire report and its record of both parties' primary ballots.
New York Post12hPope Leo XIV makes history as first pope to vote in US general electionLifeSiteNews8hLeo XIV is supposed to be a Monarch: Why is he voting in the US election?Breitbart News11hVatican Confirms Pope Leo ‘Exercised His Right to Vote’ in U.S. Midterms; Pope Affirms ‘Duty of Citizens to Participate in Democratic Processes’Christian Post7hPope Leo XIV becomes first Catholic pontiff to vote in US electionCitizen Free Press11hPope Leo votes in U.S. midterm elections.Daily Mail10hChicago-born Pope Leo becomes first pontiff to vote in US election after blasting Trump over Iran war and president's treatment of migrantsNewsmax10hPope Leo's Vote in General Election a Historical FirstOutKick10hPope Leo makes history in US election with move confirmed by VaticanRedState12hPope Leo Just Made an Unexpected Bit of US Election HistoryThe Daily Caller8hPope Leo XIV Marks Major First In US Political HistoryThe Washington Times12hPope Leo poised to make history by voting in U.S. midterm election
What’s next: The midterm elections conclude in November. Records do not show which candidates the pope has supported.
- CNN has asked the Will County Clerk's Office for comment.
- How did the pope return his ballot from Rome?
- Will his vote affect Vatican relations with the Trump administration?
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