U.S. Midterms... “Pope Leo XIV to Cast a Ballot, Too”

[Financial News] The first U.S.-born pope in history, Pope Leo XIV, has requested a mail-in ballot from his home state of Illinois ahead of next week’s U.S. midterm elections, it has been confirmed. If he casts his vote, he will become the first pope in history to participate in a U.S. election while serving as pontiff.
According to reports by NBC and the daily newspaper the Chicago Sun-Times on the 30th (local time), the Will County Clerk’s Office in Illinois said Pope Leo XIV requested a mail-in ballot from his residence in Vatican City on Oct. 3.
An official with the clerk’s office said, “No marked ballots have been returned so far.” It remains unclear whether Pope Leo XIV, who underwent surgery for lung cancer this month, completed the ballot and mailed it. If the ballot is mailed, it will be delivered to Joliet, Illinois.
According to voter records, the pope, whose name is Robert Francis Prevost, has previously voted in U.S. general elections in 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2024. He also voted in Republican primaries in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Illinois does not have party-based voter registration, so voters can choose the ballot for the primary of the party they prefer in each election.


[email protected] Yoon Jae-joon Reporter