Pope Leo XIV at an audience with the media on May 12, 2025. Archive photo: Edgar Beltrán / The Pillar via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped; adapted photo under the same license.
Pope Leo XIV has submitted a mail-in ballot in Chicago for the U.S. midterm elections, the Holy See Press Office confirmed Friday, saying the American pontiff believes citizens have both a right and a duty to participate in democracy.
The confirmation, published by Vatican News on October 30, describes the vote as part of an existing practice of civic participation rather than an endorsement of a party or candidate.
A ballot from an American citizen abroad
“Pope Leo XIV has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so,” the Press Office said. It confirmed that, “in keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation, he has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago.”
The statement also said he exercised his right to vote during his years living in Peru whenever he was eligible.
“The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” it added.
What the Vatican confirmed
The announcement establishes that a ballot was submitted and identifies Chicago as the voting location. It does not disclose which candidates or parties the Pope selected. Voting is a private choice, and participation alone should not be read as political support for any candidate.
Vatican News noted that eligible U.S. citizens living abroad can cast absentee ballots in federal elections. The confirmation places the Pope among Americans exercising that right from outside the country.
The midterm elections take place November 3, 2026. The Vatican’s message focused on participation in the democratic process, not on telling other voters how to cast their ballots.
JBizNews Desk | VATICAN CITY
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