Pope Leo XIV Votes by Mail in 2026 U.S. Midterms

Pope Leo XIV cast a ballot in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, the Vatican confirmed on October 30. He is the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general election, according to Town & Country.

The midterms are the national elections held halfway through a president's four-year term. Voters pick members of Congress, and many states also vote for governors, state officials and judges.

Pope Leo XIV is the 267th pope of the Catholic Church. He was elected on May 8, 2025, and chose the name Leo XIV. Before he became pope, he was known as Robert Francis Prevost, and he is a United States citizen.

The Holy See Press Office, the communications office of the Holy See (the central government of the Catholic Church, based in Vatican City), said the pope has used his right to vote as a U.S. citizen whenever he was eligible. He also said the pope lived in Peru for many years and voted there whenever he could.

Local records show how he has voted at home. Kim Fladhammer, chief of staff in the Will County clerk's office in Illinois, said Prevost is on the list of people who asked for a vote-by-mail ballot for this election. Vote-by-mail means the ballot is sent to the voter, who marks it and returns it by post.

Voting records show Prevost cast ballots in the 2012, 2014 and 2016 Republican primaries. He also voted in the 2008 and 2010 Democratic primaries. A primary is the contest where voters in each party pick its candidate for the general election. The records show he voted in the 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2024 general elections. He did not vote in Illinois' March primary this year.

His 2026 ballot includes the U.S. Senate race, the reelection bid of Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois, and local judicial races in Will County. Judges in those races decide cases in the county courts. The Vatican has not said how he marked his choices.

The Holy See Press Office also said the pope believes citizens have both the right and the duty to take part in democratic processes. Vatican News and CBS News reported the same statement.

The Vatican published its written statement to reporters on the vote on October 30, 2026. The ballot itself is private.