- Pope Leo XIV has requested a mail-in ballot from Illinois for next week's midterm elections, positioning him to become the first pontiff to cast a vote in a U.S. election, according to The Chicago Sun-Times.
- Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, the 71-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church was elected in May 2025 and has a history of participating in U.S. elections.
- The midterms are widely seen as a referendum on Donald Trump, with polls suggesting Democrats could reclaim control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- Trump previously clashed with Pope Leo over the war in Iran, calling the pontiff weak and claiming his anti-war stance endangered Catholics.
- The Pope requested his ballot after recently recovering from lung cancer surgery and ahead of an upcoming 12-day tour of South America.
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