Pope Leo XIV cast a mail ballot in Illinois, a first for any pope
What's new: The Chicago-born pontiff voted ahead of the Nov. 3 US midterms while recovering from lung cancer surgery.
Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope known to vote in a US general election after submitting a mail ballot in Illinois, the Vatican said Friday. Leo, the Chicago-born pontiff formerly known as Robert Prevost, cast the ballot as a US citizen ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The Chicago Sun-Times first reported that election officials in Will County said he requested the ballot on Oct. 3. Leo, who also holds Peruvian citizenship, has voted when eligible while living in Peru, the Holy See said. Records cited by AP show he voted in every general election since 2000 except 2020 and 2022. His ballot request came 10 days before surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung.