JONATHAN TURLEY: Pope Leo XIV casts ballot in US election, raising questions about foreign leaders voting
Pope Leo XIV has cast an absentee ballot in a US election, becoming the first pontiff to vote in one. The article argues that his vote raises questions about whether a US citizen can participate in domestic elections while serving as head of a foreign state.
The Holy See Press Office said Leo, born Robert Prevost and a US citizen from Chicago, has voted whenever eligible and submitted a mail-in ballot. Will County confirmed he had requested a ballot; the article says he appears eligible to vote in Illinois races, including the governor’s contest. It cites US policy allowing dual citizens to retain citizenship and notes that overseas citizens can vote under federal law.
In short
- Pope Leo XIV submitted an absentee ballot in a US election.
- He remains a US citizen while leading the Vatican.
- His vote raises questions about foreign heads of state voting.
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The case for
As a US citizen, Leo retains the same voting rights as other Americans living abroad, and the account says he has voted when eligible and followed the absentee-ballot process. Allowing citizens overseas to participate recognises that US elections affect them and avoids making public service abroad an automatic loss of political rights.
The case against
Voting by a serving head of a foreign state can raise legitimate questions about the boundary between private citizenship and official duties, especially when the ballot includes domestic contests. Even if legally eligible, critics may argue that participation risks perceptions of divided allegiance or political influence and merits clearer rules for foreign heads of state.
Explained simply
Pope Leo XIV was born Robert Prevost in Chicago and remains a US citizen. US citizens living abroad can generally vote in federal elections, and rules for state and local contests vary.
The pope leads the Catholic Church and is also head of state of the Holy See, a sovereign entity based in Rome. The report raises a question about how US citizenship and voting rights apply when a citizen holds that foreign role.
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