This is what we know about the election of Pope Leo XIV in the US election
Pope Leo XIV who was newly elected, who was born in Chicago as Robert Prevost, was registered to vote in the United States and previously voted in several preliminary selections of the Republic, but he was not registered as a member of a political party, and the history of his voters did not show who he chose or why.
According to the Illinois State Election Board, there is no registration of parties in the state. Voters can only choose one party vote during each main election, but that does not limit which party ballots are allowed to be elected by voters in the next preliminary election.
Pope Leo XIV who was just chosen to celebrate Mass with College of Cardinals in the Sistine chapel in the Vatican the day after its selection as the 267th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, May 9, 2025.
Simone Resoluti/Vatican Media through AP
ABC News gained the history of Leo voters from the WILL Regency Registrar Office, which is the current local election authority for him. (The office gives it in response to the claim of investigation references about Leo circulating online after he was announced as a new whale, and these notes cover the date of birth that matches Leo.)
Leo gave a vote in the 2024 general elections, 2018 general elections, 2016 Republican General Elections, 2014 General Elections and Republican Primary and 2012 General Elections and Republican Primary, according to the history of voters from the WILL Regency Registrar Office.
The history of the voting does not say or show anything about how Leo votes in every election, why he votes in several elections and not to others or if he is affiliated with a particular party, given that he will not register with any party in Illinois when registering to vote. ABC News has not received a note that shows the election he chose before 2012.
Leo can still vote in the upcoming election.
In November 5, 2024, photo files, residents gave ballots for the 2024 United States presidential election at the Borgia Catholic Church in Chicago.
Anadolu via Getty Images, File
A voter who lives abroad can continue to vote through a letter as long as the voter maintains his election address in Illinois, according to a spokesman for the Illinois State Election Council. If the voter releases his speech in Illinois, the right of voters to elect a federal office will still be protected under the law of voting that is not in uniform and abroad.
New Pope’s personal politics is unknown.
Before being elected as a Pope, Leo was present on Twitter, and then X, where he sometimes shared a message that seemed critical of several President Donald Trump’s policies.
Trump and Vance have congratulated Leo. Various cardinals have indicated, separately, that they believe that Leo will be able to build connections with Trump.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan from New York told reporters on Friday, “Does he want to build a bridge for Donald Trump? I think he wants to build a bridge with the leaders of each country.”
Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop Yangon in Myanmar, told ABC News’ James Longman that he was sure Leo could “build a bridge” and conduct a dialogue with Trump.
ABC News’ Hannah Demissie, Chris Boccia, Terry Moran, Ariane Nalty, and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
