The newly elected Pope Leo XIV, born in Chicago as Robert Prevost, is registered to vote in america and has beforehand voted in some Republican primaries, however he isn’t registered as a member of a political social gathering, and his voter historical past doesn’t point out whom he voted for or why.
In line with the Illinois State Board of Elections, there isn’t a social gathering registration within the state. Voters can select just one social gathering’s poll throughout every major, however that doesn’t limit which social gathering’s poll a voter is allowed to decide on in subsequent primaries.
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass with the School 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 Resoluti/Vatican Media through 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 offered it in response to an inquiry referencing claims about Leo circulating on-line after he was introduced as the brand new pope, and the data embrace a date of beginning that matches Leo’s.)
Leo voted within the 2024 normal election, the 2018 normal election, the 2016 Republican major, the 2014 normal election and Republican major and the 2012 normal election and Republican major, in line 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 social gathering, on condition that he wouldn’t have registered with any social gathering in Illinois when registering to vote. ABC Information has not obtained data exhibiting which elections he voted in earlier than 2012.
Leo may nonetheless vote in future elections.
On this Nov. 5, 2024, file picture, residents forged their ballots for the 2024 United States Presidential Election on the Catholic Church Borgia in Chicago.
Anadolu through Getty Photographs, FILE
A voter dwelling overseas can proceed voting by mail so long as the voter maintains his or her voting deal with in Illinois, in line with a spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Elections. If that voter relinquishes his or her Illinois deal with, that voter’s proper to vote for federal workplaces would nonetheless be protected underneath the Uniformed and Abroad Residents Absentee Voting Act.
The brand new pope’s private politics will not be identified.
Previous to being elected pontiff, Leo had a presence on Twitter, and later X, the place he generally 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. Numerous cardinals have indicated, individually, that they imagine Leo will be capable of construct a reference to Trump.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York instructed reporters on Friday, “Will he wish to construct bridges to Donald Trump? I suppose that he would wish to construct bridges with the chief of each nation.”
Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, archbishop of Yangon in Myanmar, instructed 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.
