How would Canadians vote in U.S. election? Most side with Harris in poll – National

If Canadians could vote in the U.S. election, a majority would choose to send Kamala Harris to the White House.

In a new survey from polling firm Leger, 64 per cent of Canadian respondents said if they could cast a ballot, they’d put their support behind vice-president Harris while 21 per cent would support former president Donald Trump. Fifteen per cent weren’t sure what they would do.

Those who intend to vote Conservative in the next Canadian election were split on where their hypothetical ballot would land. Forty-five per cent would back Trump while 42 per cent said they’d vote for Harris.

Canadians 55 and older, Quebecers and women were more likely to support Harris.

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The razor-thin race to the Oval Office is less than two weeks from the finish line following a tumultuous campaign season that saw President Joe Biden remove his name from the Democratic ticket, a surge of support around Harris and two assassination attempts on Trump.

Seventy per cent of Canadian respondents in the new poll were interested in the current U.S. election, with Liberal voters and people 55 and older more likely to be gripped by the American political saga.

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The U.S. is Canada’s closest neighbour and largest trading partner. More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S and 60 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product is derived from trade.

Both Republicans and Democrats have protectionist policies that could result in ripple effects on Canada.

Trump proposed a 10 per cent across-the-board tariff as the centrepiece of his agenda. A report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce suggested the Republican leader’s suggested duties would reduce the size of the economy between 0.9 and one per cent, resulting in around $30 billion per year in economic costs.

It’s expected Harris would follow the path laid by President Biden, who kept tariffs from the first Trump administration despite promises to reverse them. Harris would likely also continue the Biden…