Overview
- The Vatican confirmed Friday that Pope Leo XIV submitted a mail‑in ballot in Chicago, and multiple outlets report this as the first known time a pope has voted in a U.S. general election.
- Public records show he remains registered in Will County, Illinois, under his birth name Robert Francis Prevost and that he requested a mail ballot on Oct. 3 under Illinois law and UOCAVA rules that allow overseas voting.
- Will County officials initially told reporters they had not received a completed ballot and warned about postmark deadlines, and the Vatican later confirmed submission without disclosing how the ballot was returned.
- The vote comes after months of public tensions between the pope and President Donald Trump over foreign policy and immigration, and records show Prevost has voted in both Democratic and Republican primaries in past years.
- Beyond the immediate novelty, the confirmation raises practical questions about how overseas mail ballots are handled for high‑profile figures and has drawn attention as the pope recovers from October lung surgery and prepares upcoming travel.