Politics · Developing story
Pope Leo becomes first pontiff to vote in US general election
NewsAgo briefing
The clear picture
What happened
The Vatican says Pope Leo XIV, a U.S. citizen from Chicago, submitted a mail-in ballot before the November 3 midterm elections. Al Jazeera, CBS News and DW describe him as the first pope to cast a ballot in a U.S. election.
Latest development
Vatican confirms the pope submitted a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago ahead of November 3 midterm elections.
Why it matters
Leo’s vote establishes that a serving pope can retain and exercise U.S. electoral rights while leading the Catholic Church; the ballot was cast remotely rather than in person in Chicago.
Known / unclear
Coverage expanded from 3 to 4 attributed publishers.
The accounts do not identify the contests on Pope Leo’s ballot, his selections, or whether he plans to comment on them.
NewsAgo wrote this briefing with an AI language model, using only the attributed reports listed below. Automated checks require every point to cite one of those reports and reject generic or unsupported text. How we use AI
Sources
Compiled from 8 independent publishers Al Jazeera · CBS News · PBS NewsHour · DW · The Hill · BBC News · Fox News · ABC News
PBS NewsHour, Al Jazeera and The Hill call Leo the first pope to vote in a U.S. general election, while CBS News, BBC News and ABC News use the broader phrasing of a U.S. election.
- Al JazeeraPope Leo becomes first pontiff to vote in US general election ↗
- CBS NewsPope Leo becomes first pontiff to vote in a U.S. election ↗
- PBS NewsHourLeo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general election ↗
- DWUS midterms: Pope Leo XIV casts vote by mail ↗
- The HillLeo XIV becomes first pope ever to vote in US general election ↗
- BBC NewsPope Leo XIV becomes first pontiff to vote in a US election ↗
- Fox NewsPope Leo makes history in US election with move confirmed by Vatican ↗
- ABC NewsPope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a US election ↗
The big question
Which candidates or ballot measures did Pope Leo select?
The Vatican confirmation and the cited accounts do not disclose how Pope Leo voted.
What happens next
- Whether Pope Leo’s Chicago mail-in ballot is processed for the November 3 midterm election.
- Any further Vatican statement on whether Pope Leo will disclose his voting choices.
Bottom line
The confirmed mail ballot makes Leo’s personal U.S. citizenship an unprecedented feature of a papacy, while preserving no public record of his political preferences.
Explore timelines and source history
Developing story: This developing story groups reporting from 8 publishers. The timeline shows how the coverage has changed.
What the coverage shows
Three or more independent publishers are reporting this development. Wording and emphasis may differ; open the source timeline to compare their reporting.
Compare the publisher timeline ↓Story evolution
- Headline updated
Vatican confirms the pope submitted a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago ahead of November 3 midterm elections.
4 sources at this update - Headline updated
The Vatican said Pope Leo exercised his right as a U.S. citizen, submitting a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago ahead of the midterm elections next week.
3 sources at this update - Development updated
New reporting from PBS NewsHour: Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general election.
4 sources at this update - Headline updated
Leo XIV has become the first pope to vote in a U.S. general election, casting a mail-in ballot in a contest that will decide America's future as the Trump era slowly comes to an end.
6 sources at this update - Headline updated
Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope to vote in a U.S. general election.
6 sources at this update - Headline updated
The Chicago-born pontiff, who has a tense relationship with Trump, mailed in a ballot for the midterm elections that will decide control of the US Congress.
5 sources at this update - Headline updated
Pope Leo XIV requested a mail ballot from Vatican City to vote in Illinois' midterm elections, potentially the first pope to vote in a U.S. election.
1 source at this update - Development updated
Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general election.
1 source at this update - First reported
Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S.
1 source at this update