Pope Leo XIV registered to vote in upcoming U.S. Midterm elections

Leo, 71, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Illinois, assumed his position in May 2025 following the death of Pope Francis. He has not been back to the United States since then.

The Will County Clerk’s office in Illinois confirmed that a mail-in ballot has been requested for Robert Francis Prevost, registered to an address in New Lenox, a southwestern suburb of Chicago. “Robert Francis Prevost is on the list of individuals who requested a vote by mail ballot for the upcoming election,” stated Kim Fladhammer, the office’s chief of staff.

Records indicate that His Holiness has previously participated in presidential elections and both Republican and Democratic primaries, though he did not vote in Illinois’s primaries earlier this year.

Next week’s elections are widely viewed as a referendum on the current administration’s policies and performance. The president has actively encouraged supporters to vote as if he were on the ballot.

Recent polls suggest that opposition Democrats are likely to regain control of the House of Representatives and potentially the Senate, which could lead to investigations into the president and his administration, as well as obstruction of his legislative agenda.

Earlier this year, the president and Pope Leo engaged in a public dispute regarding the Iran conflict. The president criticized the pope’s stance, calling him “weak” and “terrible” after the pope posted a message advocating for peace. This was followed by the president sharing an AI-generated image depicting himself in a religious context, which he later attempted to explain as a misunderstanding.

The incident sparked controversy, with one Italian historian drawing comparisons to Adolf Hitler, and Vice President JD Vance advising the pope to exercise caution when discussing theological matters.

More recently, Pope Leo appeared to subtly criticize the president during a visit to France, stating, “You are all welcome,” which some interpreted as a response to the president’s efforts to restrict access for certain news organizations to the White House.

His Holiness underwent lung cancer surgery earlier this month but is expected to continue with a 12-day tour of Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru, beginning November 6, following the U.S. elections.