Pope Requests Mail-in Ballot For Midterms

Pope Leo may make history if he mails in the ballot he reportedly requested for next week’s midterm elections.

This would make him the first sitting pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history to vote in an election.

The pope has repeatedly clashed with President Donald Trump over a variety of issues, including immigration, foreign policy, and military action.

He is still a registered voter in Illinois despite leading the Catholic Church from Vatican City.

The Will County Clerk’s Office confirmed Thursday that Leo, registered under his birth name Robert Francis Prevost, requested a ballot on Oct. 3 ahead of the Nov. 3 elections.

“Robert Francis Prevost is on the list of individuals who requested a vote by mail ballot for the upcoming election,” Kim Fladhammer, the office’s chief of staff, told the Chicago Sun-Times.

The pope is registered at an address in New Lenox, a Chicago suburb where his brother, John Prevost, lives.

Election officials said Thursday that his completed ballot had not yet been received. It remains unclear if he has cast his vote.

If he does cast his vote, Leo is believed to become the first sitting pontiff to participate in a civil election.