American voters living in northern Ontario 'weep' for their homeland - Action News
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Sudbury

American voters living in northern Ontario 'weep' for their homeland

The U.S. presidential election is a month away and some votes have already been cast by Americans living in northern Ontario.

Over 600,000 eligible U.S. voters in Canada, but only 5 per cent cast ballots in 2016 presidential election

Americans living in northern Ontario have voted by mail for years, but are hoping to get their ballots in early as millions of U.S. citizens are expected to vote remotely in this election because of COVID-19. (AP)

For some30 years after George Sidun Jr. left the United States for Canada he never thought much about his citizenship.

Then Donald Trump ran for president in 2016.

Sidun, a former Republican, mailed in a ballot from his Sudbury home for the first time and when Trump won the election, he finally got his Canadian citizenship.

"When I lived there, you're playing the game, you're in the football game. But now that I'm in Canada, it's like I'm in the bleachers and I'm watching the game and I have a different perspective," says the now dual citizen.

"I'm just glad I'm here in Canada."

American citizen George Sidun has lived in Sudbury for 30 years, but the election of Donald Trump is what finally inspired him to get Canadian citizenship. (Erik White/CBC )

Sidunis still waiting for his ballot to arrive in the mail from his home state of Pennsylvania so he can mail it back to be counted on election dayNov. 3.

Worrying about delays in mail delivery, Janice Liedldecided to give up some of the privacy of her ballot and voted by email.

The Laurentian University professor was born in Indiana, but hasn't lived in the U.S. since 1985.

Liedl says she was once a Republican voter, but now wants to "weep" at how divided her home country has become.

Janice Liedl, who was born in Indiana but has lived in Sudbury for years, says she avoids discussing politics with some American relatives because she knows it would 'break the connection.' (Markus Schwabe/CBC)

"People that you thought were family or friends, might have other respect for you, throw insults at you, call you 'sheeple' call you 'libtards,'" says the dual citizen who is supporting Joe Biden and the Democrats.

"With some relatives I just don't feel safe talking about politics, because I know it's going to break that connection."

There are an estimated 1 million Americans and dual citizens living in Canada, some 600,000 who are eligible to vote in U.S. elections, but only about 5 per cent cast ballots in the last election in 2016.