10 days after lung surgery, Pope Leo mails his US midterm ballot from New Lenox, Illinois

The Vatican confirmed on Friday that Pope Leo has voted in the upcoming United States midterm elections. This action makes him the first sitting pontiff known to have cast a ballot in any political election in history. The vote was submitted by post from Chicago, the city where the pope was born.

Leo, formerly known as Robert Prevost, became the first American to lead the Catholic Church last year following the death of Pope Francis. The Vatican stated that he exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen whenever eligible. This includes periods when he lived in Peru as a missionary. The Holy See added that the pope believes citizens have a duty to participate in democratic processes.

Records show Leo requested his mail-in ballot on October 3. He registered at an address in New Lenox, Illinois. This occurred ten days before he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung. The pontiff was discharged from hospital on October 17 and has gradually resumed activities since then. The general election is scheduled for November 3.

The vote arrives amid public friction between Leo and President Donald Trump. The two leaders have clashed over immigration policies, with Leo describing the president's approach as inhuman. Earlier this year, Trump criticized Leo's stance on the US-Israeli war on Iran. He called the pontiff weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy. Trump also claimed Leo was only elected pope because of the White House administration.

Leo responded to the criticism by stating he was not afraid of Trump. In a major address given on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Leo praised American history of welcoming migrants. He urged Americans to live up to the ideals in the document, a move viewed as a further rebuke to the president. In a late July interview with a US broadcaster, Leo expressed great love for his home country and its principles of freedom and opportunity, while noting he just happens to be American.

Leo is scheduled to travel to Latin America in November for an 11-day trip covering 10 cities. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the foreign minister of the Holy See, told reporters this week that a papal visit to the US is expected in the not too distant future. Gallagher added that the outcome of the midterms might influence whether that trip occurs in 2027 or later.