Pope Leo XIV requests mail-in ballot for Illinois midterms

Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV is casting a ballot in Illinois’ midterm elections from the heart of Vatican City, requesting a mail-in ballot tied to his registration in New Lenox, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

The ballot’s transatlantic journey from Joliet to Rome highlights the unusual intersection of global religious leadership and local American civic participation. The request, logged on October 3, positions the pontiff to weigh in on key downstate and regional contests, including the U.S. Senate race to replace Sen. Dick Durbin and Gov. JB Pritzker’s reelection bid.

According to Will County clerk’s office chief of staff Kim Fladhammer, Robert Francis Prevost appears squarely on the roster of active mail-in voters. The physical ballot crossed international borders following a major medical procedure for the 71-year-old pontiff, who returned to the Vatican on October 18 just four days after surgeons removed part of his right lung in a procedure that confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

Voting records show a distinct cross-party pattern in Prevost’s electoral history before ascending to the papacy in May 2025. He cast ballots in Republican primaries in 2012, 2014, and 2016, alongside general election participation in 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2024. Earlier voting data indicates participation in Democratic primaries in 2008 and 2010. Illinois law permits registered voters to choose any party’s primary ballot without formal party registration.

Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections, emphasized the statutory framework enabling the vote. “There is no such thing as an absentee ballot in Illinois law anymore,” Dietrich told the Sun-Times. “So anyone can vote by mail if they so choose. There is also a law called UOCAVA, The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act that is mostly for the military, but it’s also for U.S. citizens who are overseas.”

High-Stakes Diplomatic Friction

The pontiff’s participation in American civic life unfolds against a backdrop of public friction between Vatican leadership and the Trump administration. Pope Leo has emerged as an outspoken critic of mass deportations, family separations, armed conflicts, and the dangers of artificial intelligence.

In April, President Donald Trump drew sharp backlash after labeling the head of the Catholic Church “terrible for foreign policy” and sharing an AI-generated image of himself depicted as Jesus. While Pope Leo initially avoided naming names when addressing administration policies, he shifted his tone directly aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria.

“I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the church works for,” Pope Leo told reporters.

Pope Leo Meets Chicago Delegations After Cancer Surgery

Born in Chicago and raised in south suburban Dolton, Pope Leo maintains steady contact with visiting delegations. Recent visitors to Vatican City include Governor Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis-Gates, suburban mayors, and former Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

Despite undergoing lung cancer surgery earlier in October, the pope has gradually resumed his official schedule, leading a weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square and meeting with a delegation of approximately 30 Chicago clergy, religious leaders, and lay people.