Question

Cardinal Robert Prevost, the newly chosen pope, is a registered Republican.

Answer 1

Cardinal Robert Prevost, is not a registered Republican. Yes there are records that show him voting for the Republican party in 2012, 2014, and 2016, but in Illinois, you do not register by party. In the state, no matter who you vote for you are never tied down to that political party. While this is the case, there are also tweets of the new pope criticizing Trump and Vance's policies, he seriously wants to protect immigrants and reduce gun violence. These opinions go against the right wing party, which indicates that Cardinal Robert Prevost is not a registered republican.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/chicago-born-pope-leo-xiv-cast-ballot-recent-republican-primaries-illi-rcna205866

Comments

I appreciate the background on voting that you gave as context to this response. It helped to clear up some confusion about how voting works in certain states. I also liked how you included other facts about the Pope to explain his stance on other issues and gave a well-rounded report of him that had a reliable source to back it up.

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Great points! Voting in Republican primaries does not mean he is a registered Republican, especially in Illinois, where party registration is not required. And his condemnation of Trump, coupled with his support for immigrant rights and gun control, shows he is not a member of the GOP. Thank you for the information!

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This is a very well written response. Just because Prevost voted in Republican primaries doesn't make him a registered Republican because Illinois does not have party registration. His recent statements supporting immigrants and opposing gun violence suggest he does not align with Republican positions. It is more accurate to say that his position as the leader of the Catholic Church, don't fit neatly into either political party's platforms.

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I actually didn't know if he was or not, so this helped me learn a lot! I like how you've commented on his real political views rather than a label we all put on politics as a society.

Answer 2

This statement is false. The newly Chose Pope, Pope Leo XIV is not an officially registered republican. However, this tweet is correct that he voted in Republican primaries but that does not determine wether he is registered republican or not. The article "Fact check: Is the new Pope registered to vote as a republican?" points out that "Prevost, 69, is a registered voter in Will County, Illinois, and cast ballots there over the past 13 years. In Illinois, voters do not register by party affiliation." It later goes on to say that he did in fact vote in Republican primaries but because he is registered in Illinois he does not have to declare affiliation with a party. The state of Illinois has no record of him declaring a party. 

Sources: Fact check: Is the new Pope registered to vote as a Republican?

Comments

Your fact check does a good job of identifying the main issue with the claim and referencing a reliable source to support your point. You correctly pointed out that Illinois does not require party registration and clarified that voting in Republican primaries does not mean someone is a registered Republican. The structure could be improved to make your reasoning clearer. For example, starting with Illinois' election laws, then discussing Prevost's voting history, and finishing with why the claim is misleading. Some of the phrasing is a little unclear, like “newly Chose Pope,” and could be made smoother to help the reader better understand your point.

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I like the way you addressed every angle that could be used to deem him a republican, especially when you clarified you don't have to declare a party or register with one in order to vote in the primary. Additionally you brought up the point of them having no history of him having declared a party period which I really helped strengthen your case.

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Good argument! Voting in Republican primaries by Cardinal Prevost does not qualify him as a registered Republican by default. You don’t have to declare a party in order to register to vote in the state of Illinois. Voting in the primaries thus does not make him officially a part of the Republican Party. The article clarifies and adds that there is no indication they have declared a party themselves. The statement is thus false.

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This post is absolutely correct. I agree that while Pope Leo XIV did vote in Republican primaries, that alone does not make him a registered Republican. As the article points out, Illinois doesn’t require voters to register by party, so participation in a party's primary doesn't equal formal affiliation. The distinction is important, especially when misinformation spreads so easily. It’s clear from public records that there is no official party registration for him in Illinois, which confirms that labeling him as a “registered Republican” is misleading.

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good job on explaining exactly why this post was misleading, and explaining the logistics of the voting registry in the state of Virginia which makes the issue explained better. And having a source and pointing out the relevant information from it proves your point very well.

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I thought you did an amazing job fact checking this claim. I appreciate how you acknowledged the fact that he voted republican in primaries, while still debunking the claim that he is a registered republican. I also appreciated how you used quotes from a very reliable resource.

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This is a great fact check! Providing the correct facts and history is important for correcting misinformation.

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That's a great summary of why party registration varies state by state, well said emphasizing that! One suggestion: it might be useful to define the difference between party affiliation and voting patterns more directly. Even some readers will probably still tend to mistakenly associate regular voting in Republican primaries as an "unofficial" affiliation. Maybe add a sentence stating that open primaries allow the voter to choose the party's ballot they wish without the statement of official party affiliation.

Answer 3

This claim is false. While it is proven that Pope Leo XIV has voted for republicans most recently, and in the past, he voted in Illinois. Illinois does not have voters register for a specific party. They simply vote the way the please in each election Therefor, this claim is false.

Comments

This fact check is congruent with other answers, but you have no sources. There is no way to believe what you are saying without any sources. The content of your fact check makes sense but adding sources would make is much stronger.

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This fact check is true however, it's lacking depth of research and sources, it would be beneficial for you to expand on your research and strengthen your fact check.

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Can you give out sources that back this up? It makes sense what you are saying but without any sources it would be difficult to believe what you are saying.

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This fact check is clear and right to the point. I would have preferred a more in depth explanation and sources to back up your own claim. Other than this, this fact check gets the job done.

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Do you have source links or any data/expert quotes that would support your fact-check?

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This paragraph is right to say that Illinois doesn’t ask voters to register with a political party, which means the claim about Pope Leo XIV being a registered Republican isn’t true. However, the response could be clearer and better organized. It repeats “this claim is false” without giving enough explanation. It also leaves out the fact that he has voted in both Republican and Democratic primaries, which shows a more balanced political history. Adding that detail would make the response more complete and accurate.

Answer 4

No, Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is not a registered Republican. While he has voted in Republican primaries in the state of Illinois during the years of 2012, 2014, and 2016, records of the voters in the state of Illinois do not show him as officially registered in a particular party. It does not register by political affiliation in the state of Illinois but records a party when he votes in partisan primaries but it is not an official party registration.

https://www.who.int

Comments

What is at the who.int website? It doesn't seem pertinent to this fact-check. If it is, please elaborate in your fact-check.

Answer 5

This isn't true, t here is very little proof that Cardinal Robert Prevost is a registered Republican. On X the story most likely began as a joke or propaganda post. It isn't backed by proof from reliable sources that I could find

Comments

Is this a comment or a fact-check? If the latter, please include more concrete evidence to support your fact-check. Thanks!

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This response makes a good point by saying there’s no real proof that Cardinal Robert Prevost is a registered Republican. It’s also helpful to mention the story may have started as a joke or false post online. But the paragraph could be clearer—it has a typo and could explain more, like how Illinois doesn’t record party registration. It would also be stronger if it included that he voted in both Republican and Democratic primaries, or adding a link to a cite that shows this evidence.

Answer 6

The claim that Pope Leo XIV is a registered republican is false. He is from Illinois where there is no system of party registration, meaning voters remain unaffiliated. The Pope has participated in both republican and democrat primaries, voting democratic in 2008 and 2010, and voting republican in 2012, 2014, and 2016. https://www.facebook.com/illinoissbe/videos/did-you-know-in-illinois-you-dont-have-to-declare-a-party-affiliation-when-regis/4036960579911878/  https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/chicago-born-pope-leo-xiv-cast-ballot-recent-republican-primaries-illi-rcna205866

Comments

Very good answer! you provided direct information with a reliable source. I like that you gave a very descriptive answer including dates when and what parties that pope has participated in.

Answer 7

This is false. After looking through many news outlets like ABC news, USA Today and CBS news. It is not confirmed anywhere that Pope Leo is a registered republican.although according to USA Today he has previously voted for republican parties but is not registered with a certain party. The X thread is also not a reliable place to source info as anyone can post on X with no repercussions. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/09/pope-leo-chicago-voting-history-trump-vance/83534898007/ 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-leo-robert-prevost-voting-records-republican-democratic-primaries/

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pope-leo-xiv-voting-us-elections/story?id=121648673

Answer 8

This statement is false. While Robert Prevost, our new Pope Leo XIV is eligible to vote in the Presidential US elections, he is not declared as a member of either political party. As stated by ABC News, he has "previously voted in some Republican primaries, but he is not registered as a member of a political party, and his voter history does not indicate whom he voted for or why". Though this is entirely true, I find that it's also important to note the lack of certainty among this topic. If the new pope was strongly left or right leaning, it's highly likely that the public would be made aware. Similarly, if this was the case, he. might be more forward about his opinions on this controversial race. However, the lack of polarization from such an influential person is refreshing as it's more likely that each issue may be approached with a clean slate.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pope-leo-xiv-voting-us-elections/story?id=121648673 

Answer 9

The claim that Pope Leo XIV (formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost) is a registered Republican isn't true. In Illinois, where he lived, people don’t register with a political party. He voted in both Republican and Democratic primaries over the years and didn’t vote at all in the 2016 and 2020 elections, only returning to vote in 2024. This shows he doesn’t clearly lean toward one party. Some of his votes also may have been based on local issues rather than national politics. As pope, he’s seen as a moderate who respects Catholic traditions while also supporting inclusion, dialogue, and care for the poor and marginalized, which makes it unlikely that he would strictly align with any American political ideology. The information comes from WRAL, a trusted news source that provides verified voter data and insights from election experts, ensuring the accuracy of the details shared.

https://www.wral.com/story/fact-check-is-the-new-pope-registered-to-vote-as-a-republican/21999903/

Answer 10

This statement is false. In the state of Illinois, where Pope Leo XIV was born, there is no party registration. In an ABC News article about this topic it states, "Voters can choose only one party's ballot during each primary, but that does not restrict which party's ballot a voter is allowed to choose in subsequent primaries" (ABC News). Although the Pope has voted in republican primaries in the past, it does not define his political affiliation. The Pope has the choice of voting or not and/or voting in the republican or democratic primaries after each year. This does not bind him to a certain political party and gives him his right to vote in the U.S.. Even while being elected as the new Pope in Italy, the Pope can still vote in elections in the U.S..

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pope-leo-xiv-voting-us-elections/story?id=121648673