Lucia Suarez Sang and Anna Matranga reported for CBS News last week Pope Leo XIV became the first-ever pontiff to vote in a U.S. election, casting his midterm votes via mail-in ballot. The Vatican confirmed the news of his voting, citing the Pope’s “longstanding belief in civic participation.”
In a statement, the Vatican said “the Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” while the Holy See press office said Pope Leo XIV has “exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so.”
As a newfound Portlander, I participated in my first election here in Oregon. I completed my ballot at home before walking it down a few blocks to a drop-off box at the county library over the weekend. Contrary to what President Trump says, mail-in voting is a godsend for accessibility. For people with disabilities who can’t get to their neighborhood polling place for whatever reason(s), being able to perform their civic duty at home is a total win. What’s more, mail-in ballots save a disabled person who could get to the polls from struggling with potentially inaccessible voting machines; this is an issue I’ve covered extensively in the past. To be sure, there are potential pitfalls with paper ballots too—small print, bubbles everywhere, etc—but mail-in voting is unabashedly a disability rights issue.
Pope Leo is also the first pontiff to use a smartphone and wear an Apple Watch during mass.
