Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV cast a ballot in recent Republican primaries in Illinois

Pope Leo XIV, the first American to ascend to the papacy, has voted in three Republican primary elections since 2012, state voting records show.

Records from Will County show a Robert F. Prevost (the new pontiff’s birth name) registered in the county using an address that belongs to the pope’s brother. His brother confirmed that Prevost receives his mail at that address as well. Those records show Prevost voting in the 2012, 2014 and 2016 Republican primaries, as well as in the 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2024 general elections.

Voters in Illinois do not register by party, so Prevost’s decision to vote in Republican primaries doesn’t necessarily mean he is a Republican. Instead, voters can select which party’s primary they want to vote for each year, and are not bound to pick the same party year-to-year.

Now that Prevost has been named pope, details like his voting history, social media footprint and more have gained new relevance.

An occasional user of social media in recent years, Prevost had occasionally posted on X criticism of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, as well as their policies. One recent post from another user that Prevost sahred on his account criticizes Trump and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele over the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, linking to a Catholic newspaper piece.

Prevost also posted links to stories with headlines critical of Vance, who is Catholic, as well as posts about protecting immigrants, reducing gun violence and combating climate change.