The newly elected Pope Leo XIV, born in Chicago as Robert Prevost, is registered to vote in the USA and has beforehand voted in some Republican primaries, however he’s not registered as a member of a political celebration, and his voter historical past doesn’t point out whom he voted for or why.
Based on the Illinois State Board of Elections, there isn’t a celebration registration within the state. Voters can select just one celebration’s poll throughout every major, however that doesn’t limit which celebration’s poll a voter is allowed to decide on in subsequent primaries.
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass with the Faculty of Cardinals contained in the Sistine Chapel on the Vatican the day after his election as 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Could 9, 2025.
Simone Risoluti/Vatican Media by way of AP
ABC Information obtained Leo’s voter historical past from the Will County Clerk’s workplace, which is the present native election authority for him. (The workplace supplied it in response to an inquiry referencing claims about Leo circulating on-line after he was introduced as the brand new pope, and the information embody a date of start that matches Leo’s.)
Leo voted within the 2024 basic election, the 2018 basic election, the 2016 Republican major, the 2014 basic election and Republican major and the 2012 basic election and Republican major, in accordance with the voter historical past from the Will County Clerk’s Workplace.
The voting historical past doesn’t say or point out something about how Leo voted in every election, why he voted in some elections and never in others or if he associates with any particular celebration, on condition that he wouldn’t have registered with any celebration in Illinois when registering to vote. ABC Information has not obtained information displaying which elections he voted in earlier than 2012.
Leo might nonetheless vote in future elections.
On this Nov. 5, 2024, file photograph, residents forged their ballots for the 2024 United States Presidential Election on the Catholic Church Borgia in Chicago.
Anadolu by way of Getty Photos, FILE
A voter dwelling overseas can proceed voting by mail so long as the voter maintains his or her voting handle in Illinois, in accordance with a spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Elections. If that voter relinquishes his or her Illinois handle, that voter’s proper to vote for federal workplaces would nonetheless be protected beneath the Uniformed and Abroad Residents Absentee Voting Act.
The brand new pope’s private politics are usually not identified.
Previous to being elected pontiff, Leo had a presence on Twitter, and later X, the place he sometimes shared messages that gave the impression to be essential of a few of President Donald Trump’s insurance policies.
Trump and Vance have each congratulated Leo. Varied cardinals have indicated, individually, that they imagine Leo will be capable of construct a reference to Trump.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York advised reporters on Friday, “Will he need to construct bridges to Donald Trump? I suppose that he would need to construct bridges with the chief of each nation.”
Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, archbishop of Yangon in Myanmar, advised ABC Information’ James Longman that he believes Leo can “construct a bridge” and have a dialogue with Trump.
ABC Information’ Hannah Demissie, Chris Boccia, Terry Moran, Ariane Nalty, and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
