Pope Leo requested an absentee ballot in Illinois to vote in the midterms

Pope Leo XIV, a registered voter in Illinois, is poised to vote in next week’s midterm elections after he requested a mail ballot at his residence in Vatican City. Leo, whose birth name is Robert Francis Prevost, requested the ballot Oct. 3, the Will County Clerk’s Office chief of staff, Kim Fladhammer, confirmed to NBC News on Thursday. The Chicago Sun-Times first reported the ballot request. The clerk’s office told NBC News it has not yet received a completed ballot from the pope, who had lung cancer surgery this month. It is unclear whether he has filled out or mailed his ballot yet. If he does, it would be sent to Joliet, Illinois.

And by virtue of becoming the first American pope in May 2025, Leo would be the first pope to vote in a U.S. election. Since he became pope, Leo has been an outspoken critic of certain Trump policies, including the U.S. war against Iran and the administration’s treatment of immigrants. Leo and President Donald Trump got into a back-and-forth in April after Leo called for peace in the war that began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. Trump responded on social media by calling the pope “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy” while taking credit for his papacy. “I’m not a big fan of Pope