Lead report from Axios
What happened
Pope Leo XIV has become the first sitting pope to vote in an American election by casting a mail-in ballot for the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. The Vatican confirmed that the Chicago-born pontiff exercised his right as a U.S. citizen to vote. Local election officials in Illinois discussed the ballot request.
Outlets across the political spectrum agree that Pope Leo XIV requested and submitted a mail-in ballot for the U.S. midterm elections, making him the first pope to do so.
Left-leaning outlets like NBC News and HuffPost emphasize the pontiff's American citizenship and his past criticisms of the Trump administration. Center and right-leaning outlets, such as Fox News and the Washington Examiner, focus more on the logistical confirmation from the Vatican and local Illinois election officials regarding the historic mail-in ballot request.
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Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general election
Leo XIV has become the first pope to vote in a U.S. general election, casting a mail-in ballot in a contest that will decide America's future as the Trump era slowly comes to an end.
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Source context: Pope Leo XIV voted in the 2026 Illinois midterm elections using a mail-in ballot, the Vatican confirmed Friday, becoming the first sitting pope known to vote in an American election.Why it matters: The pontiff, an American citizen, may be the first to vote in any secular democrat…
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Coverage from 10/30/2026, 1:44:30 AM UTC to 10/30/2026, 5:23:48 PM UTC. A missing source may reflect feed or matching limitations.
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3 publishers
Pope Leo XIV voted in the 2026 Illinois midterm elections using a mail-in ballot, the Vatican confirmed Friday, becoming the first sitting pope known to vote in an American election.Why it matters: The pontiff, an American citizen, may be the first to vote in any secular democratic election.Joliet radio station WJOL first reported Oct. 23 that Leo had…
It’s not clear whether Leo, who has been critical of the Trump administration, has mailed off his ballot yet.
The Chicago-born pontiff submitted a mail-in ballot in Chicago ahead of November’s midterm elections, the Vatican said.
4 publishers
Leo XIV has become the first pope to vote in a U.S. general election, casting a mail-in ballot in a contest that will decide America's future as the Trump era slowly comes to an end.
The Chicago-born pontiff, who has a tense relationship with Trump, mailed in a ballot for the midterm elections that will decide control of the US Congress.
The Vatican said Pope Leo exercised his right as a U.S. citizen, submitting a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago ahead of the midterm elections next week.
Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope to vote in a U.S. general election.
4 publishers
Pope Leo XIV may become the first-ever pope to vote in a secular election, let alone a U.S. one, as he ordered a mail-in ballot for the 2026 midterm elections. Kim Fladhammer, Will County clerk’s office chief of staff, told the Chicago Sun-Times that the leader of the Roman Catholic Church requested a mail-in ballot…
Pope Leo XIV requested a mail ballot from Vatican City to vote in Illinois' midterm elections, potentially the first pope to vote in a U.S. election.
"He’s an American citizen living abroad. He didn’t lose his voting rights when he moved to the Vatican," an expert said.
