State officials have authorized a campaign dubbed “Calexit” for a possible secession vote in 2028
Activists in California seek to put the state’s independence from the US on the ballot, hoping to gain more support than their previous efforts did after Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory.
Last week, the secretary of state of California, Shirley Weber, authorized a voter initiative by Marcus Evans of Fresno to collect signatures needed to put the matter to a vote during the November 2028 general election. If successful, voters will be asked the question: “Should California leave the United States and become a free and independent country?”
By late July, Evans must gather signatures from 546,651 registered voters – which is 5% of the votes cast during the 2022 California gubernatorial election – to get secession on the ballot.
If the measure passes with at least 55% approval and 50% voter turnout, it would amount to “a vote of no confidence in the United States of America” and trigger the creation of a state commission to explore the viability of Californian independence. The proposed 20-member body would report its findings in 2028.
A legislative analysis prepared for California Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized that the state’s constitution does not allow secession from the US, and the proposal does not include constitutional amendments. The document estimated the cost of operating the commission at $2 million per year, on top of $10 million in one-time election-related expenses.
Evans previously served as vice president of ‘Yes, California’, a pro-independence group that gained traction in November 2016, after Trump’s first presidential victory. Described by the media as a “long-shot” at the time, the campaign was suspended nine years later, in December 2024, according to its website.
In an email to CBS News last week, Evans said, “We believe that now is the best time to Calexit – NOW we are better situated to make Calexit happen than in 2016.” The activist cited two impeachments of Trump during his first presidential term and federal prosecutions against him during his 2024 election campaign.
Supporters of Californian independence point to the state’s sizable economy, claiming that as a sovereign country it would become the fifth-largest in the world. The state reported its GDP at $3.8 trillion in 2023.
