Pope Leo requests mail ballot
The gist
Pope Leo XIV requested a mail ballot from Will County, Ill., a month before Election Day.
If returned, he is believed to be the first sitting pope to vote.
How it unfolded
- May 2025Leo becomes the first American pope, elected with white smoke from the Sistine Chapel. Days later, Illinois State Board of Elections official Matt Dietrich says the new pope is still an active Will County voter who had mailed in a ballot for the November 2024 presidential race.
- Oct 3, 2026Pope Leo XIV requests a mail ballot from the Will County Clerk's Office, a month before Election Day.
- Oct 23, 2026WJOL in Joliet first reports the request, citing sources who said someone close to the pope had asked for the ballot to be sent to his registered address in New Lenox.