The key facts

  • Leo XIV voted by mail in Chicago in the US congressional midterm elections on November 3 — the first time a pope has taken part in US general elections
  • Vatican: the pontiff 'exercised his right to vote as a US citizen' and has always done so whenever he had the opportunity
  • It is unknown whom the pope voted for; DW notes his repeated conflicts with the Trump administration

The first American pope voted in his homeland

Pope Leo XIV voted by mail in the US congressional midterm elections, sending his ballot to Chicago, where he was born. This was reported on October 30 by the press office of the Holy See and Deutsche Welle. According to DW, citing American media, the 71-year-old pontiff submitted his mail-in voting application as early as October 3. He became the first pope in history to take part in US general elections.

What is known about his voting history

The Holy See's press office emphasized that the pontiff 'exercised his right to vote as a US citizen' and had done so 'every time he had the opportunity.' According to DW, records of the Illinois State Board of Elections show that Robert Prevost voted in every general election since 2000, except in 2020 and 2022, including five primaries. The Vatican also noted that the pope, who holds citizenship of Peru thanks to his service as a bishop there, also voted in that country when he had the right to. 'The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,' said the Vatican spokesman — even though, as DW notes, the Vatican itself is an absolute monarchy and holds no political elections.

Election context and relations with Trump

The congressional elections are scheduled for November 3: all 435 members of the House of Representatives and about a third of the Senate will be elected. Donald Trump's Republicans are defending a narrow majority in both chambers against the Democrats' push. In the pope's home state of Illinois, voters will decide whether to reelect Governor JB Pritzker for a third term, and will also fill the vacant Senate seat left after the departure of longtime Catholic Democrat Dick Durbin. It is unknown whom Leo XIV voted for. DW recalls that since the beginning of his pontificate a year and a half ago, the pope has repeatedly clashed with Trump: he criticized him over the war with Iran, migration and press freedom, declined an invitation to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, while Trump called the pontiff 'weak' and a 'captive of radical leftists.' 'I am not afraid of the Trump administration, and I am not afraid to speak loudly about the message of the Gospel,' Leo replied in April during a trip to Algeria. Earlier, according to Gazeta.Ru, the US president repeatedly promised Americans $5,000 each if the Republicans won the elections.