Vatican City; October 2026: The Holy Father – Pope Leo IV has exercised his electoral franchise today becoming the first Papal in the history of 2000 years, by submitting a mail-in ballot in his native Chicago.
The pope "has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so" the Vatican said in a statement today. "The Holy See Press Office confirms that in keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation, he has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago".
The Holy See’s press office has further confirmed that the Holy Father had voted in the 2008 and 2010 Democratic primaries and in the Republican primaries in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Illinois does not require its citizens to be registered to a party to vote in primary elections and voters can change which party's ballot they vote in for each primary election. The pope also voted in the 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2024 general elections.
Among the races Leo will weigh in on are the Illinois Senate race to replace longtime Senate Democrat Dick Durbin, and the reelection bid for Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, whom Leo met with at the Vatican last November.
The Press Office also stated that Leo, a naturalised Peruvian citizen, also voted regularly in Peru when he was a bishop there from 2014-2023. "The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes".
After his election to the papacy last May, questions arose over whether Leo would need to renounce his US citizenship to serve as the head of Vatican City State. Serving as a foreign head of state is "a potentially expatriating act" but citizens serving in foreign governments can be expatriated "only if done voluntarily with the intention of relinquishing US citizenship", according to the State Department. By requesting a mail-in ballot, the pope has evidently not relinquished his US citizenship.
United States Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 349(a)(4) states:
A US national’s employment, after attaining the age of 18, with the government of a foreign country or a political subdivision thereof is a potentially expatriating act pursuant to Section 349(a)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act if the individual is a citizen of that foreign country or takes an oath of allegiance to that country in connection with such employment. Such employment, however, will result in one's expatriation only if done voluntarily with the intention of relinquishing US citizenship.
Running for foreign office, even foreign head of state, is not a potentially expatriating act; only accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of a foreign office are potentially expatriating as described above.
The Department has adopted an administrative presumption that US nationals intend to retain their US citizenship when they naturalise as nationals of a foreign state, declare their allegiance to a foreign state, or accept non-policy level employment with a foreign government.
US nationals employed in non-policy level positions with foreign governments are not required to take any action to retain their US nationality. An individual who requests a Certificate of Loss of US Nationality under INA 349(a)(4) must clearly and credibly establish that by accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of a position with the government of a foreign state, they intended to relinquish US nationality.
In cases where US nationals are employed in policy-level positions, the Department of State may ask the individual about their intent with respect to their US nationality, but in general, the Department will only actively review cases in which a US national is elected or otherwise appointed to serve as a foreign head of state, foreign head of government, or foreign minister. Such cases raise complex questions of international law, including issues related to the level of immunity from US jurisdiction that the person so serving may be afforded. All such cases should be referred to the Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Consular Affairs.
An individual assuming such a position who does not intend to relinquish US nationality may voluntarily provide the Department or post a statement so indicating. An individual assuming such a position who wishes to relinquish US nationality may submit a request for a Certificate of Loss of Nationality of the United States to a US embassy or consulate and follow the required steps.
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