# Should Pope Leo XIV have voted in this week's elections? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2026, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328 "2026-11-01T23:59:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2026, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/1 "2026-11-01T23:59:21Z")
Here is a [link to an article from the Vatican News](https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-10/pope-leo-xiv-votes-usa-midterm-elections.html) that Pope Leo XIV, the current pope, voted in the midterm elections. It’s a bit of a novelty; I’m not sure any other head of state has ever voted in a democratic election. And also, it’s not as if he is a Chicago resident living overseas temporarily, like a military service member or student studying overseas. Presumably he’s a permanent resident of the Vatican City. I think that makes him no longer an eligible voter (though the article I linked to says, “Eligible U.S. citizens living abroad, as well as members of the military away from their voting residence, can cast absentee ballots in federal elections”). ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/2 "2026-11-02T00:17:30Z")
I thought I read an article a few years ago about how Netanyahu was not eligible to vote in US elections while being Prime Minister despite being an American citizen because he was a foreign leader, but I can’t find it now. Does this mean that the Vatican interfered in US elections? 😮 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/3 "2026-11-02T00:30:50Z")
He’s a US citizen. As far as the US is concerned, he has the right. As far as the Vatican is concerned? Well, as the absolute monarch of the Vatican, it’s his decision on whether it’s appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/4 "2026-11-02T00:32:57Z")
He’s a U.S. citizen but does he still qualify as a resident of Chicago or wherever he voted? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/5 "2026-11-02T00:32:59Z")
According to [vote.gov](https://vote.gov/voting-outside-of-us) > ## **You can vote in U.S. elections from anywhere in the world.** > > If you live outside of the U.S. and meet voter eligibility requirements in your home state, you can register to vote by mail using the [Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).](https://www.fvap.gov/eo/overview/materials/forms "External link opens in new window") This includes: > > - U.S. citizens who move to a new country, including expats > - Students studying abroad > - U.S. citizens working outside of the U.S. and > Never lived in the U.S.? > If you’re a U.S. citizen who was born outside of the U.S. and you have never lived in the U.S., you may still be eligible to vote. This depends on your voting residence. Your voting residence is where your parents or legal guardians last lived in the U.S. There doesn’t seem to be any law or Constitutional provision preventing a US citizen who is appointed or elected a foreign head of state or government from voting. And the Department of State says > In cases where U.S. nationals are employed in policy-level positions, the Department of State may ask the individual about their intent with respect to their U.S. nationality, but in general, the Department will only actively review cases in which a U.S. national is elected or otherwise appointed to serve as a foreign head of state, foreign head of government, or foreign minister. which suggests to me that someone elected or appointed to those positions does not _automatically_ lose their citizenship and right to vote. Pope Leo was elected about 18 months ago - i would think that any review would have been completed, if Rubio was inclined to order a review. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > He’s a U.S. citizen but does he still qualify as a resident of Chicago or wherever he voted? Yes, as far as Federal offices are concerned. He may not be eligible to vote in state or local elections. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/6 "2026-11-02T01:18:56Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > It’s a bit of a novelty; I’m not sure any other head of state has ever voted in a democratic election. ? US Presidents vote in US elections all the time, right? I must be missing some qualifier you were implying here. You mean, no head of state ever voted in **another** country’s elections? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/7 "2026-11-02T01:20:14Z")
Yes, that is what was meant. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/8 "2026-11-02T01:21:58Z")
Gotcha, thanks! And yeah, in that case probably true. ETA: Oh, um, if we don’t count people like [“Prince Michael of Sealand”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bates_(Sealand)), who AFAICT still votes as a UK citizen. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/9 "2026-11-02T01:47:06Z")
Heads of state voting in other nations’ elections used to be quite common. One noble title that sometimes get bandied about in European history is “elector”, because often, the nobles of other nations were the only folks who got to vote. I don’t know if it’s ever before happened in US history, though. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/10 "2026-11-02T02:19:10Z")
I just really want to know how he voted for School Board President. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/11 "2026-11-02T02:24:19Z")
A [Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince-elector) was not a head of state as we understand that term today, nor could they vote in other nation’s elections. They met to vote on monarchs of the HRE to which they belonged. The more appropriate modern analogy would be members of a parliament voting on a Prime Minister, although the College of Cardinals electing one of their number as Pope might also be an example. I can’t think of or find any examples of actual heads of state voting in other nations’ elections. Doesn’t mean it never happened. Also the head of state in many countries is a different person than the head of government. The U.S. president is both, but parliamentary countries have two separate positions. Also can’t find any evidence of them voting, though. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/12 "2026-11-02T02:52:09Z")
He’s registered to vote in Will County, Illinois, which indicates that he maintains an address there. The parody site Babylon Bee did this. Not an unsurprising number of people thought this was real. > **[Smoke Rises From Vatican Indicating Who Pope Voted For](https://babylonbee.com/news/smoke-rises-from-vatican-indicating-who-pope-voted-for)** > > VATICAN CITY — Blue smoke rose from the roof of the Sistine Chapel on Friday, signaling that Pope Leo XIV had voted for a third term for Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/13 "2026-11-02T03:03:02Z")
Thanks for all of the comments. In researching the question, I was looking for an official press release from the Vatican stating that he voted. I couldn’t find that but was amused to see that the Pope still sends telegrams. [Here](https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2026/10/29/261029b.html), for instance, is the “telegram of condolence for the victims of the railway accident which occurred on Wednesday 28 October 2026 in Urda, in the province of Toledo, Spain.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/14 "2026-11-02T03:23:32Z")
I really hope that one wasn’t a singing telegram… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/15 "2026-11-02T03:40:24Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > He’s registered to vote in Will County, Illinois, which indicates that he maintains an address there. Not necessarily. All it means is that that was his last address in the US, before leaving the country. He doesn’t need to maintain it in any way. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Thanks for all of the comments. In researching the question, I was looking for an official press release from the Vatican stating that he voted. Seems to me that an article from the Vatican News is pretty close to that. And I suspect that “telegram” just got fossilized as the term that the Vatican uses for all electronic communication. I don’t think there are any Morse code messaging systems still operating. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/16 "2026-11-02T05:11:38Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > They met to vote on monarchs of the HRE to which they belonged. Three British kings (George I, II, and III) were head of state in Great Britain and also Prince-Electors of Hanover in the HRE. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/17 "2026-11-02T07:00:36Z")
If he’s voting in Illinois, then he probably voted to reelect JB Pritzker. I feel like a Pope casting a vote for a Jewish leader is a Pretty Big Deal in a historical sense. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/18 "2026-11-02T08:14:24Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Presumably he’s a permanent resident of the Vatican City. I think that makes him no longer an eligible voter If you can point to a US law that says that, then … okay, yeah, sure. However, I spent most of my adult life as a resident of Indonesia, Egypt, Federated States of Micronesia, and Mozambique. I always had whatever residency permit was needed to live and work in those countries. At no time did I ever relinquish my right to vote as an American citizen, and it offends me to think that anyone would ever question that. (Pollyanna-ish as it might sound, I was actually involved in work in those countries to promote American values - as we saw it in those days - of democracy, equal opportunity, and human rights.) ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/19 "2026-11-02T09:26:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I don’t think there are any Morse code messaging systems still operating. So when the aliens invade Earth on Independence Day the US military will not be able to coordinate the counter attack with the other world governments using morse code? Damned! We are doomed! On the subject of the OP, as a neutral foreign citizen I think that if the Pope voting pisses President Ineptstein off, then the Pope has the duty to do it. And the _fumata azzurra_ displayed in **[post #12](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/12)** is a brilliant take on that. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328/20 "2026-11-02T11:09:33Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > I really hope that one wasn’t a singing telegram… if it were, you just know it would be in Gregorian chant. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pope-leo-xiv-have-voted-in-this-weeks-elections/1034328.md?page=2)