AI Image
Pope Leo XIV becomes first pontiff to vote in a U.S. election, casting mail-in ballot
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, has become the first pontiff to vote in a U.S. election, submitting a mail-in ballot in Chicago ahead of the November midterms.
- The Vatican emphasized the pope's longstanding belief in civic participation, stating he has exercised his right to vote whenever eligible as a U.S. citizen.
- Registered in New Lenox, Illinois, the pope requested his mail-in ballot on October 3, shortly before undergoing lung cancer surgery, and has since resumed Vatican activities.
- Leo XIV has a history of voting in U.S. elections, participating in multiple primary and general elections in Illinois since 2000, reflecting his dual U.S. and Peruvian citizenship.
- The pope has publicly urged the faithful to engage actively in democratic processes and social justice issues, condemning passivity and indifference toward current events.
