Pope Leo XIV becomes first pope to vote in U.S. election
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Summary
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 requested a mail-in ballot. What they're saying: The pope believes "in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes," the Holy See Press Office said in a statement . The Vatican said Leo "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so" and that "in keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation, he has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago." Pope Leo also voted whenever eligible during his years living in Peru, the Vatican's statement said. Zoom in: The pope's ballot includes Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker 's reelection bid, the race to succeed Sen. Dick Durbin and a House contest between Democratic Rep. Jonathan Jackson and Republican Christian Maxwell. Jackson, the son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, won his district handily in 2024. The pontiff's ballot will have to travel from Vatican city to Joliet, Illinois. Worth noting : Leo has voted in both Democratic and Republican primaries in the last two decades. The clerk's office in Will County, Illinois, where Leo is registered to vote, did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Zoom out: The pope, who has been recovering from lung cancer surgery , met with Chicago-area advocates Wednesday who are supporting immigrants at an ICE facility in Broadview , Illinois. He's also clashed with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, over the war in Iran and the treatment of immigrants in America. Go deeper: Pope Leo XIV discharged from hospital after lung cancer surgery Axios Chicago's Carrie Shepherd contributed.
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