Pope Leo XIV becomes first pontiff to vote in a US election

BBC and PBS NewsHour report that Pope Leo XIV has become the first pontiff to vote in a U.S. election, mailing in an Illinois ballot for the Nov. 3 midterms, which will decide control of Congress. The Holy See press office said the Chicago-born pope votes as a U.S. citizen whenever eligible, including during years spent in Peru, and affirmed "the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes.", according to PBS NewsHour · BBC.

According to NBC News, cited by the BBC, the ballot was requested from the Will County clerk's office on Oct. 3. PBS NewsHour places the registration in New Lenox and says the request came 10 days before surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from the right lung; how the ballot was returned is unclear. PBS NewsHour adds that Illinois records show five primary ballots since 2000, two Democratic and three Republican, and general-election ballots in every year except 2020 and 2022.

Both outlets recall clashes with President Donald Trump over immigration and the war with Iran. The BBC describes tensions peaking in April, while PBS NewsHour says the public dispute has quieted in recent months.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour · BBC and PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour · BBC → Also at PBS NewsHour →