Pope Leo XIV casts Illinois mail ballot in US midterm election
What's new: The Chicago-born pontiff became the first known pope to vote in a political election ahead of the Nov. 3 US midterms.
Pope Leo XIV cast a mail-in ballot in Illinois for the US midterm elections, becoming the first known pope to vote in a political election. The Vatican said the Chicago-born pontiff submitted his ballot as a US citizen and has voted whenever eligible, including during his years in Peru. NBC News, cited by the BBC, reported he requested the ballot from the Will County Clerk's Office on Oct. 3. The election is set for Nov. 3, with early voting already under way in most states. Leo, elected pope in May 2025, has recently clashed with President Donald Trump over immigration enforcement and the US-Israel war with Iran.