Pope Leo XIV requests U.S. mail-in ballot

Robert Francis Prevost, the current head of the Catholic Church, has formally requested a mail-in ballot from the Will County Clerk’s Office in Illinois. A spokesperson confirmed the request on Thursday, following initial reports from the Chicago Sun-Times. This move sets the stage for a historic first: if the ballot is returned in time, Prevost will become the first pope to cast a vote in a United States election.

Prevost was elevated to the papacy last year. Since that appointment, he has not traveled back to the United States. Despite his absence, he has maintained his U.S. citizenship, a legal status that keeps him eligible to vote under American law. He has also issued public statements on domestic politics, a stance that has occasionally drawn criticism from President Donald Trump.

The administrative process for voting is now in the final stages. The chief of staff for the Clerk’s Office stated that the Vatican has not yet received the ballot. The document must be postmarked in time to count for the November 3 election. This timeline leaves a narrow window for the paperwork to travel from Chicago to Rome and back again.

The request for a ballot is a specific action taken by the pontiff in his home community of Will County. No other pope has attempted to vote in a U.S. presidential or general election. The eligibility stems directly from his failure to renounce his citizenship upon taking office, a requirement that allows him to retain the right to vote.

The next step in this process is physical. The ballot must reach the Vatican, be signed by the pope, and be mailed back to Will County. The Clerk’s Office is monitoring the deadline closely. Until the returned ballot is received and postmarked within the allowed timeframe, the historic vote remains pending.