Tuesday, December 30, 2025
ADVT 
National

Andrew Scheer not voting in U.S. election

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Oct, 2020 10:17 PM
  • Andrew Scheer not voting in U.S. election

Former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, whose dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship became an issue in last year's federal election, won't be casting a ballot in the upcoming American vote.

Scheer had been in the process of renouncing his U.S. citizenship ahead of the 2019 fall campaign.

But he ended that process after his party failed to form government and he subsequently stepped down as leader.

In the 2016 presidential election, there were approximately 620,000 Americans in Canada who were eligible to cast ballots, though only around 32,000 did.

Scheer was not one of them then either; he said last year he has never voted in U.S. elections.

A spokesperson was asked Wednesday whether he intends to vote this time and the answer was no.

Scheer received American citizenship through his father, a fact that did not become broadly known until last fall's federal election because, he said at the time, no one asked him.

The issue dogged him during the campaign in part because he had previously spoken out against high office holders hanging onto dual citizenships, without disclosing he was among them.

Though he won the leadership of the Conservative party in 2017, he didn't begin to take steps to renounce his American citizenship until just before the 2019 general election.

The decision to renounce was linked to the fact that he had a shot at becoming prime minister, he said at the time.

But the Conservatives failed to defeat the Liberals and Scheer announced in December he was stepping down as party leader, pending the selection of his replacement.

"Given the fact that I won't be prime minister, I discontinued the process," he said in May.

Current Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is not a citizen of any other country, a spokesperson said Wednesday.

MORE National ARTICLES

Suspect arrested, victim OK after being pinned in truck bed during vehicle theft

Suspect arrested, victim OK after being pinned in truck bed during vehicle theft
A man is in custody and police in Victoria say it's lucky no one was hurt after the owner of a pickup was taken on a rough ride through the city while trying to stop the theft of his vehicle.

Suspect arrested, victim OK after being pinned in truck bed during vehicle theft

University says it's making changes after crash that killed two students

University says it's making changes after crash that killed two students
A report into a bus crash that killed two University of Victoria students calls for travel during daylight hours on a narrow logging road that it says should be improved by the provincial government.

University says it's making changes after crash that killed two students

Senate regrets, will explore compensation, for employees harassed by ex-senator

Senate regrets, will explore compensation, for employees harassed by ex-senator
The Senate's administrative committee said in a statement today it regrets that some staff of former senator Don Meredith were harassed and sexually harassed by him while they were in his employ.

Senate regrets, will explore compensation, for employees harassed by ex-senator

Safe, clean campsites to be made available for seasonal fruit pickers in B.C.

Safe, clean campsites to be made available for seasonal fruit pickers in B.C.
One campsite is planned for the Oliver area in the southern Okanagan and two more are slated for Creston in southeastern B.C., with the province providing about $60,000 for each site.

Safe, clean campsites to be made available for seasonal fruit pickers in B.C.

Privacy commissioners in B.C., Ontario, order LifeLabs to improve security

Privacy commissioners in B.C., Ontario, order LifeLabs to improve security
A joint investigation by the privacy commissioners of Ontario and British Columbia says Lifelabs failed to put in place reasonable safeguards to protect the personal health information of millions of Canadians.

Privacy commissioners in B.C., Ontario, order LifeLabs to improve security

Advocacy groups question Vancouver street check review, call for ban

Advocacy groups question Vancouver street check review, call for ban
Advocacy groups are questioning the validity of a Vancouver police board review of street checks after an incident reported by the authors didn't make it into the published final copy.

Advocacy groups question Vancouver street check review, call for ban