OTTAWA -- Engaging American citizens abroad to cast ballots in the U.S. election was a focus for both Democrats and Republicans. Now that Joe Biden’s been declared the winner, what do Americans in Canada think?
“I think our reaction right now is one of pure joy and relief… We've been working so hard for four years, and it's just paid off,” Danielle Stampley, chair of Democrats Abroad Toronto, said in an interview on CTV News Channel Saturday.
Mark Feigenbaum, the chair of the Canadian chapter of Republicans Overseas, said that from his perspective if the results hold, the “very, very, very narrow margin” means that the country is “pretty divided.”
“So whoever it is, is going to have to bring the country together,” he said on CTV News Channel, adding that he’s still waiting to see how the courts rule on the legality of the vote. To date there has been no evidence to substantiate Trump’s claims of voter fraud.
Stampley said that while it was a close race from the electoral college perspective, Biden has a more commanding lead in the popular vote.
As of 2:30 p.m. ET, Biden had secured more than 74 million votes, while outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump has secured just over 70 million votes.
“I'm actually encouraged by the vote numbers, that people want to voice their opinion, I think they should in every election, it shouldn't be just this one,” Feigenbaum said, adding that he’s still closely watching how the U.S. Senate standings shake out. Right now it’s looking like the Republicans could hold onto power there.
Now that the election has come to an end, even with potential further Republican legal challenges and recounts, both sides agreed that co-operation is needed to move that country forward.
“He’s going to have to work and negotiate… and find something that appeals to all Americans, which is what he says he wants to do,” Feigenbaum said of Biden.
Stampley agreed: “I think that what we need to do is look for policies that appeal to all Americans.”