Close X
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
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

Vote on workers' aid bill to be a confidence test

Vote on workers' aid bill to be a confidence test
The move appears to dare the opposition parties to bring the government down as the pandemic surges across the country.

Vote on workers' aid bill to be a confidence test

Jury shown images from Fredericton murder scene

Jury shown images from Fredericton murder scene
Robichaud and Wright were killed while packing their car in preparation for a trip, while the two officers were killed when they responded to the scene.

Jury shown images from Fredericton murder scene

WATCH: US Presidential debate tonight, Dr. Bonnie Henry says transmissions outside of school

WATCH: US Presidential debate tonight,  Dr. Bonnie Henry says transmissions outside of school
WATCH: Fox News host Chris Wallace to conduct the first-ever Presidential debate between Trump & Joe Biden. US President Donald Trump and Joe Biden set to square off in first presidential debate tonight.

WATCH: US Presidential debate tonight, Dr. Bonnie Henry says transmissions outside of school

Union wants permanent hires for veterans backlog

Union wants permanent hires for veterans backlog
In June, Veterans Affairs said it would extend contracts for 160 employees it had hired temporarily to process applications, and would add another 300 to their number.

Union wants permanent hires for veterans backlog

Access to info complaints more than double

Access to info complaints more than double
The commissioner is an ombudsman for requesters under the access act, the key federal transparency law.

Access to info complaints more than double

Ottawa publishes guidance for rapid COVID-19 tests

Ottawa publishes guidance for rapid COVID-19 tests
Many, including the Opposition Conservatives, have pointed out such tests already being rolled out in the U.S. and other countries

Ottawa publishes guidance for rapid COVID-19 tests