Pope Leo XIV makes history as first pope to vote in a US election

Pope Leo XIV has submitted his mail-in ballot in Illinois for the US midterm elections, becoming the first pope to vote in a US election, BBC reports. “The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement.

According to NBC News, the pope requested his mail-in ballot from the Will County Clerk’s Office on 3 October. Less than two weeks later, the Vatican announced he had surgery to remove a lower lobe of his right lung after being diagnosed with lung cancer. The Vatican confirmed last week that the 71-year-old will travel as planned to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in early November.

The midterms, which will determine which party controls Congress, will be held on 3 November, though early voting has begun in most states. Pope Leo has clashed with the Trump administration over immigration enforcement and the US-Israel war with Iran.