Pope Leo XIV could make history in the November 3 United States midterm elections after requesting a mail-in ballot in Illinois, potentially becoming the first sitting pontiff known to have participated in an American election.
Reports said the 70-year-old pontiff, whose birth name is Robert Francis Prevost, is among registered voters, who requested mail-in ballots ahead of the election.
Kim Fladhammer, chief of staff at the county clerk’s office, confirmed the request to the Chicago Sun-Times, saying Prevost’s name appeared on the list of individuals who applied to vote by mail.
According to the report, the pope submitted his request on October 3, with the ballot intended for him at his registered address in New Lenox, Illinois.
However, the clerk’s office had not received his completed ballot as of Thursday, October 29, leaving it uncertain whether he had filled it out or returned it to election officials.
A separate report by NBC News, cited by Forbes and other media organisations, also confirmed that election officials were yet to receive the ballot.
If he completes the process and his vote is accepted, Leo would become the first sitting pope known to have voted in a United States election.
Although Pope Leo XIV has lived in Vatican City since he was elected head of the Catholic Church in May 2025, he retains his United States citizenship and remains registered to vote in Illinois.
Born in Chicago on September 14, 1955, Prevost spent much of his early life in the United States before joining the Augustinian religious order and embarking on missionary and ecclesiastical assignments in Peru.
He subsequently held several positions within the Catholic Church, including leadership roles in the Augustinian order and the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, before his election as pope.
His election on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis, made him the first American-born pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church.
His voter registration in Illinois has remained active despite his relocation to the Vatican.
Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections, explained that registered voters in the state could vote by mail without providing a specific reason.
He also noted that the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) provides voting arrangements for eligible American citizens living abroad, including those residing outside the country.
The provisions allow eligible overseas voters to participate in elections in their home states even when they are unable to return to the United States to cast their ballots in person.