Tuesday, June 9, 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

Feds Rolling Out Help For Charities Hit Hard By Covid-19 Economic Slowdown

The federal government signalled Sunday it is shifting the focus of its COVID-19 aid towards Canada's most vulnerable as public health experts expressed cautious optimism the nation's physical distancing experiment could be working.

Feds Rolling Out Help For Charities Hit Hard By Covid-19 Economic Slowdown

The Latest Numbers On Covid-19 In Canada

The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 1:25 p.m. on March 30, 2020:

The Latest Numbers On Covid-19 In Canada

Large Business, Non-profits, Charities Eligible For Wage Subsidy, Trudeau Says

The 75-per-cent subsidy on wages meant to cushion the blow from the pandemic will be available to employers that can show their revenues have fallen by at least 30 per cent due to COVID-19.

Large Business, Non-profits, Charities Eligible For Wage Subsidy, Trudeau Says

Charities Seek Extra Help From Feds To Keep Services Running As Revenues Dry Up

Charities Seek Extra Help From Feds To Keep Services Running As Revenues Dry Up
OTTAWA - Canada's charities say they have begun laying off staff and shutting down their services, which are usually in high demand during economic downturns, as the sector feels the financial sting from COVID-19.    

Charities Seek Extra Help From Feds To Keep Services Running As Revenues Dry Up

Canadian Military Ready To Mobilize 24,000 Troops For Covid-19: Defence Minister

OTTAWA - Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says 24,000 Canadian troops are ready to jump into action to help deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.    

Canadian Military Ready To Mobilize 24,000 Troops For Covid-19: Defence Minister

Ferry Operators Call For Inclusion In Covid-19 Travel Restrictions

Ferry Operators Call For Inclusion In Covid-19 Travel Restrictions
As new restrictions came into effect barring people with symptoms of COVID-19 from planes and trains, ferry operators called for the federal government to ban such travellers from their vessels as well.

Ferry Operators Call For Inclusion In Covid-19 Travel Restrictions