America Speaks: Would they move to Canada if their presidential candidate isn’t elected?

Candice JaimungalSocial Media Contributor
October 14, 2020, 5:55 PM GMT+0

In a June 2020 YouGov Poll, a third (31%) of Americans expressed interest in moving to Canada if their presidential candidate isn’t elected, while half (53%) of Americans said they were not interested in making the move.

Related: A third of Americans are interested in moving to Canada if the election doesn’t go their way

But how do Americans feel about moving to Canada as a result of the election, and what do others think about those willing to cross the border up north? We asked our YouGov Chat users to go deeper and tell us what they really think about moving to Canada as a result of the election. You can share your views on whether or not you would make the move here.

Moving up north

Some YouGov Chat users said they would move up north if the election didn’t go their way, while others stated they would move either way.

  • “I am already considering immigrating to Canada or Ireland regardless of outcome. I do not see a positive future for the United States under either candidate.”

  • "Seeing the damage that has been done to our country and relationships with other countries, I don't think our country will survive another 4 years... I think we would have to go."
  • "Currently I think Canada is a way better country than ours."
  • “At this point, my family's plan is to move to Canada regardless of who wins the election. America seems to be falling apart.”

While some YouGov Chat users expressed interest in moving to Canada if their presidential candidate isn’t elected, many expressed concerns over the plausibility of the move.

  • “I'd happily move to Canada if I thought I could but I know that neither my job nor my husband's job are in demand in Canada.”

  • “I would love to move to Canada, but I worry about the immigration process because I have medical issues and little work experience.”
  • “[I] don't think Canada would want to take us in.”
  • “It's not as easy to move to Canada as people think.”

Staying put in America

Chat users were not interested in moving to Canada, some citing a preference to stay put and make their own impact and changes in the United States, while others say the country is their home.

  • “If things don’t go my way I would want to work to make things better.”
  • “I love my Country! No matter the outcome I have to believe that it will work itself out…”
  • “I personally feel like if things don’t get better it’s up to us to make the change and do it for ourself and our kids future.”
  • “Regardless of who wins, I’m an American. America is my home.”
  • “It's ridiculous to move to another country due to the election.”

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Everyday, members of YouGov Chat are asked to share their opinion on a topic in the news. We allow anyone to take part in these chats, and do not display or weight results in real-time. Instead, to make the experience informative but still interactive, the chat displays weighted data from YouGov Direct to show them how the rest of the country voted. This enables us to pose the question to all, while retaining data accuracy and validity when communicating results.

YouGov chat seeks to add to the ‘what?’ (the quantitative poll result) by finding the ‘why?” (qualitative open ends) in a member’s own words. Learn more about YouGov Chat here.

Image: YouGov

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