León XIV Voted in Five Primaries Since 2000

The Vatican confirmed on Friday that Pope León XIV has cast his ballot in five primary elections since the year 2000. The Holy See stated that the pontiff, who was born in Chicago, has exercised his right to vote as a U.S. citizen every time he was eligible to do so.

León, born Robert Prevost, is the first pope to vote in a U.S. general election. The Vatican press office noted that he also voted while residing in Peru whenever he held the right to participate in local democratic processes. The office emphasized that the Holy Father believes in the right and duty of citizens to engage in democratic procedures.

The Chicago Sun-Times first reported that León requested a mail-in ballot on Oct. 3. He is registered at a New Lenox address in Will County, Illinois. The chief of staff for the Will County clerk’s office confirmed the request to the newspaper. It is not yet clear how the completed ballot was returned to the election board.

John Prevost, the pope’s brother, was in Rome this week with a group of parishioners from St. Jude’s, an Augustinian parish in New Lenox. The family has long ties to the church, and León delivered a talk there in 2024 when he was still a cardinal. The oldest Prevost brother attends mass at the parish.

Illinois Election Board records show Prevost voted in all general elections from 2000 to 2024, with the exception of 2020 and 2022. The records do not specify which candidates he supported. Illinois voters must declare a party preference to receive a primary ballot, but no such declaration is required for general elections.

From 2000 to 2016, Prevost requested Democratic ballots in the 2008 and 2010 primaries while living in Cook County. After moving to the more conservative Will County, he requested Republican ballots in the 2012, 2014, and 2016 primaries. The next general election is scheduled for November 2026.

The Vatican’s announcement came after media reports surfaced regarding his voting history. The confirmation aligns with the pope’s stated views on civic participation. No further details were released about the specific date the ballot was mailed.