Pope Leo XIV has cast his ballot in the 2026 midterm elections, making history as the first sitting pontiff to vote in a U.S. general election while drawing renewed attention to a series of consequential contests in his home state of Illinois.
The Vatican confirmed Friday that the Chicago-born pope, who remains a U.S. citizen, submitted a mail-in ballot in Chicago. The Holy See Press Office said the pope has exercised his right to vote whenever he has been eligible, including during the more than two decades he spent living in Peru as a missionary priest and bishop.
“The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” the Vatican said in a statement.
The pope’s participation comes just days before Americans head to the polls on November 3. But Pope Leo’s ballot carries particular significance in both Chicago and Illinois, where voters will decide an open U.S. Senate race, a gubernatorial contest and the future composition of Chicago’s public school leadership.
Pope Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, was raised in the Chicago area and grew up in the south suburb of Dolton. He remains registered to vote in New Lenox, Illinois, under his birth name.
The pope’s vote also comes after a period of public tension with President Donald Trump. Leo has repeatedly spoken against the administration’s immigration policies and military action in Iran. Trump previously criticized the pontiff as “weak” and “terrible for Foreign Policy,” prompting Leo to respond that he was not afraid of the administration and would continue speaking publicly about what he believes are important issues addressed in the Gospel.
The Vatican has emphasized that Leo’s participation reflects his longstanding belief in civic responsibility rather than an endorsement of any political party or candidate.
Public records show that Prevost has voted in both Democrat and Republican primaries over the years. He requested Democrat primary ballots in 2008 and 2010, then Republican primary ballots in 2012, 2014, and 2016. Illinois does not require voters to register with a political party, and voters may choose which party’s ballot to request in a primary. The records do not reveal which candidates he supported.
The ballot arrives as Illinois prepares for a major political day. Democrat Governor JB Pritzker is seeking a third consecutive term against Republican Darren Bailey, whom he defeated by more than 12 percentage points in 2022. Pritzker has also drawn national attention as a potential contender for the 2028 Democrat presidential nomination.
The state’s open Senate race is another major contest. Democrat Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is running to succeed retiring Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin, who has represented Illinois in the upper chamber since 1997. Stratton faces Republican Don Tracy, a former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, and independent candidate Whitfield Harrington Jr.
New Lenox falls in Illinois’ 1st congressional district, which includes the South side of Chicago and extends well into the suburbs surrounding the city. In the House, the district is represented by Democrat Jonathan Jackson, son of Jesse Jackson, he is running for re-election against Republican Christian Maxwell. The oddly-bordered district is a “Solid D” on the Cook Political Report with a Democrat +18 score. Illinois has been rated an “F” by Princeton’s Gerrymandering Project for heavily favoring Democrats.
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