• Analysis
Pope Leo votes in US midterms by mail, first known ballot by a pontiff
Pope Leo voted in the US midterm elections by post in Chicago, the Vatican said on Friday - the first time a sitting pontiff is known to have cast a ballot in any political election.
A mail-in ballot from Chicago
The Vatican statement on Friday confirmed that Pope Leo votes in the US midterms through a mail-in ballot, submitted by post in the city where he was born. According to the Vatican, the pope, previously known as Robert Prevost, reportedly requested the mail-in ballot on 3 October, registering at an address in New Lenox, Illinois. The US midterm elections are due to be held on 3 November.
A voting habit and a stated belief
The Holy See's account said Leo has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen whenever he was eligible to do so, including during his years as a missionary in Peru. It added that he sees participation in democracy as both a right and a duty of citizens.
Tension with the White House
The ballot lands amid friction between the first American pope and Donald Trump. The two men have clashed over the US president's harsh immigration policies, which Leo described as "inhuman". Earlier this year, Trump responded to the pontiff's criticisms of the US-Israeli war on Iran by calling him "weak on crime" and "terrible on foreign policy", and said he became pope only because Trump was in the White House. Asked about those remarks, Leo said he was "not afraid" of Trump.
In his first key address to the United States, on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Leo praised the country's history of welcoming migrants and urged Americans to live up to the declaration's ideals. In a late July interview with a US broadcaster he expressed "great love" for his home country and its principles, but said he "happens to be American".
What comes next
The voting request came shortly before a health setback: 10 days later, Leo underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung. He left hospital on 17 October and has been gradually resuming activities. Ahead lie:
- •An 11-day trip to Latin America in November, covering 10 cities.
- •An expected papal visit to the US, which Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See's foreign minister, said should come in the "not too distant future".
- •A possible link between the midterm outcome and whether that visit falls in 2027 or later, according to Gallagher.
Leo became the first American leader of the Catholic church last year, after the death of Pope Francis.
