California has initiated a push to leave the United States and establish itself as an independent nation.
A petition for secession, dubbed "Calexit," has been registered, and signature collection is underway in the state, The New York Post reports.
The initiative is inspired by the United Kingdom's Brexit vote.
If the proposal gains sufficient support, it will appear on the ballot in 2028. Voters will then face the critical question:
Should California secede from the United States to become a free and independent country?
To move forward, more than 50% of the total number of eligible voters must sign the petition. However, even if the majority votes in favor of secession, authorities would first need to convene a special commission to analyze the implications of such a decision. Only after completing its review would the commission publish an official report.
This is not the first time California has sought independence. In November 2016, following Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election, California residents began calling for the state to detach from the U.S. The movement gained traction on social media, prompting supporters of California independence to submit a referendum proposal to the state prosecutor's office.
The effort was spearheaded by the Yes California movement, which proposed the measure as "Calexit: The 2019 Independence Plebiscite for California.”
At the time, the movement's vice president and co-founder noted that they had planned to raise the issue of secession later but accelerated their timeline due to Trump's election victory.
Activists initially aimed to hold a vote by March 13, 2019, but the petition failed to gather the required 50% of signatures from the total number of voters.
Currently, Yes California acknowledges that leaving the US is nearly impossible due to legal constraints embedded in the state's laws. For instance, California is officially designated as an "inseparable part” of the US, and federal laws remain supreme across the state.
Nevertheless, Yes California argues that the state suffers culturally and financially by remaining part of the US. They contend that California could thrive autonomously, with the main question being whether the people of the state desire independence.
About California
Located on the west coast of the US, California stretches nearly 1,400 kilometers along the Pacific Ocean, from its border with Oregon to Mexico. With an area of 423,970 square kilometers, it ranks third in size after Alaska and Texas.
California is the most populous state in the US, home to nearly 40 million residents. It also boasts the largest GDP of any US state. Major cities include Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara, and the state is known for landmarks such as Disneyland, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood.