Pope Leo XIV submits mail ballot for U.S. midterms

Pope Leo XIV has submitted a mail-in ballot in Chicago for the November 3 U.S. midterm elections, the Holy See Press Office said Friday, in what historians describe as a likely first for a sitting pope in a secular election. The Vatican said Leo, a U.S. citizen born Robert Francis Prevost, has voted whenever eligible, including during his years living in Peru. It described participation in democratic processes as both a right and a duty. The confirmation makes his ballot submission an accomplished event, rather than simply a planned vote. Will County election official Kim Fladhammer said Prevost requested a mail ballot on October 3. Illinois election records show requests for Democratic primary ballots in 2008 and 2010 and Republican primary ballots in 2012, 2014 and 2016. The records do not identify candidates he supported. The ballot’s route back to Illinois has not been established. Leo’s brother John was in Rome during the period, but suggestions that he carried the ballot are speculation, not a confirmed account. The Vatican confirmed submission without describing how it was returned. A papal historian has assessed that Leo may be the first pope to vote in a secular...