Canada ready to help citizens in U.S.: Freeland

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada's diplomats will be ready to help Canadians living south of the border if there's trouble in the United States after election day.

She says it's always a federal government responsibility to assist Canadians who are outside the country, no matter where they are.

Freeland says it's up to Americans to decide who will lead them, and up to Canada to deal with whoever American voters select.

But some observers of the U.S. presidential election expect that late-counted votes could mean the outcome is still uncertain by the end of the night.

In the polarized American political environment, which saw clashes between demonstrators and police in many cities earlier this year, that could potentially lead to civil unrest.

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Freeland says the government has plans and will be ready no matter what happens.