Pope May Vote in Illinois Election

Pope Leo XIV may be making history again — this time by mail. The first American-born pontiff, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, has requested a mail-in ballot for the November 3 election in Illinois, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He remains eligible to vote as a resident of Will County, within the state’s First Congressional District. While popes typically stay above partisan politics, citizenship rights still apply. Election officials have not said whether his ballot has been returned. If cast, it would mark a rare civic moment for a sitting pope with deep Illinois roots.