Thursday, January 1, 2026
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

Conviction for teen 'swatter' stands despite length of case, court rules

Conviction for teen 'swatter' stands despite length of case, court rules
The conviction of a teenager for the hideous practise of "swatting" must stand even though it took three years from his arrest to completion of his trial, Ontario's top court ruled on Tuesday.

Conviction for teen 'swatter' stands despite length of case, court rules

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says police misconduct is indefensible

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says police misconduct is indefensible
Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says police officers who use excessive force or appear to be discriminating on the basis of race need to be held to account.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says police misconduct is indefensible

Three Nova Scotia senators call for public inquiry into mass killing

Three Nova Scotia senators call for public inquiry into mass killing
Three Nova Scotia senators are calling on the province to join with Ottawa to launch a joint inquiry into the mass shooting in April that claimed the lives of 22 people, saying the investigation must address related social issues through a "feminist lens."

Three Nova Scotia senators call for public inquiry into mass killing

Reopenings and protests have Americans bracing for second wave of COVID-19

Reopenings and protests have Americans bracing for second wave of COVID-19
A new poll suggests Americans are more convinced than Canadians are that a second, more powerful wave of COVID-19 is on its way.

Reopenings and protests have Americans bracing for second wave of COVID-19

Humpback whale that thrilled crowds in Montreal reported dead in St. Lawrence

Humpback whale that thrilled crowds in Montreal reported dead in St. Lawrence
There was no fairy tale ending for a wayward humpback whale that had captivated crowds in the Montreal area in recent days, as a whale research group announced Tuesday that the animal appears to have been found dead.

Humpback whale that thrilled crowds in Montreal reported dead in St. Lawrence

Feds commit $8.9M in foreign aid for reproductive health services amid COVID-19

Feds commit $8.9M in foreign aid for reproductive health services amid COVID-19
Canada is dedicating $8.9 million in new international aid to ensure women and girls around the world have safe access to abortion and reproductive health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Feds commit $8.9M in foreign aid for reproductive health services amid COVID-19