Vatican confirms Pope Leo XIV mailed Illinois midterm ballot

The Vatican press office confirmed on Oct. 30 that Pope Leo XIV has submitted a mail-in ballot for the Illinois midterm elections. The statement noted that the pope exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, a practice he has followed whenever eligible.

According to the Vatican, the Holy Father expressed his belief in the civic duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes. Chieko Noguchi, executive director of public affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said on Oct. 30 that the pope sets an example encouraging each citizen to exercise their civic responsibility.

A report by the Chicago Sun-Times on Oct. 29 stated that a county official confirmed the pope requested his ballot on Oct. 3. Kim Fladhammer, chief of staff for the Will County clerk’s office, verified that Robert Francis Prevost, the pope’s name prior to his election, was on the list of individuals who requested a mail ballot for the upcoming election.

The Sun-Times reported that the pope is registered at an address in New Lenox, Illinois, a suburban Chicago town where his elder brother John resides. Voting records cited by the newspaper indicate that Prevost voted in the 2008 and 2010 Democratic primaries, the 2012, 2014, and 2016 Republican primaries, and the general elections of 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2024. He did not vote in the state’s March primary this year.

NBC News’ Chicago affiliate confirmed with the county clerk’s chief of staff that the ballot had not been received as of Oct. 29. The Will County ballot includes races for the U.S. Senate and governor, as well as several county and judicial posts. Illinois voters are not required to register by party and may choose parties for their primary ballot.

In a message to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in April, Pope Leo described authentic democracy as recognizing the dignity of every person and calling for responsible participation in the common good. He cited St. John Paul II’s 1991 encyclical Centesimus Annus, which noted that democracy allows people to elect, hold accountable, and replace those who govern them through peaceful means.

Noguchi added that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been encouraging Catholics to vote with their faith before their politics. The bishops have urged Catholics to inform their conscience and uphold human dignity and the common good in the voting process.