# Pope Leo votes in US midterms in first known papal political ballot

Pope Leo voted in the U.S. midterm elections, marking the first known instance of a pontiff casting a political ballot. The unprecedented move may draw attention to the Vatican’s traditional political neutrality and the pope’s civic role.

**Importance:** 4/5

## Sources

### World
- [The Guardian World](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/30/pope-leo-votes-us-midterms-first-political-ballot-pontiff) — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:01:21 GMT
- [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/31/pope-leo-becomes-first-pontiff-to-vote-in-us-general-election?traffic_source=rss) — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 01:31:44 +0000