Pope Leo casts Illinois ballot as first pontiff to vote in US election
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
Pope Leo XIV has cast his mail-in ballot in Illinois for the US midterm elections, becoming the first pope to vote in a US election. The vote comes as his public disagreements with President Donald Trump continue, including over immigration and the US-Israel war with Iran.
The Holy See said Leo has voted whenever eligible, including while living in Peru. He requested his ballot from the Will County Clerk’s Office on 3 October; the election on 3 November will determine control of Congress during the final years of Trump’s presidency. The 71-year-old Pope is due to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in early November, following surgery to remove part of his right lung after a lung cancer diagnosis.
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In short
- Leo XIV is the first pope to vote in a US election.
- He cast a mail-in ballot in Illinois.
- The midterms will decide control of Congress.
How this story developed
- 15 minutes ago The account was refined to say Leo was the first pope known to have voted in a US election, and underscored his continued participation as a US citizen.
- 26 minutes ago Pope Leo XIV became the first pope to cast a ballot in a US election, voting by post in Illinois’s 3 November midterms amid public disagreements with President Donald Trump and ahead of a planned South American tour after lung surgery.
Where outlets differ
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Explained simply
The pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, while the president leads the US government; they hold different roles and are not part of the same political system. Leo XIV was born in Chicago and is a US citizen, so he can vote in US elections when eligible.
US midterm elections take place halfway through a president’s four-year term. Voters choose members of Congress, whose two chambers—the House of Representatives and the Senate—pass laws and scrutinise the president’s administration; the balance of seats can affect how much support a president has for their policies.
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Originally published by BBC World as “Pope Leo XIV becomes first pontiff to vote in a US election”.