"Calexit": Californians may soon vote to leave US

A new initiative aimed at allowing California to secede from the United States has been approved to start gathering signatures. If successful, the measure — dubbed “Calexit” — will appear on the 2028 ballot, asking voters: “Should California leave the United States and become a free and independent country?”

For the proposal to pass, at least 50% of registered voters must take part in the election, with a minimum of 55% — or over 500,000 individuals — required to vote "yes" by July 22, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Should this pass, it would trigger a “vote of no confidence in the United States of America,” marking a declaration of the will of California’s citizens to become an independent nation. A 20-member commission would then be formed to assess California’s viability as a separate state in 2027, publishing its findings the following year. The question would be put to voters again in 2028.

If the measure gains approval, it would assert California's “vote of no confidence in the United States of America,” without altering the state’s governance or its formal ties with the US. The proposal also includes a call for the removal of the US flag from all state buildings.

The Calexit movement was introduced by Marcus Evans, a political activist from Fresno, who had previously attempted to push for secession during President Donald Trump’s first term in office. Speaking to CBS News, Evans remarked, “We believe that now is the best time to Calexit – NOW we are better situated to make Calexit happen than in 2016.”

The cost of the scheme is estimated at least $10 million, with an additional $2 million annually needed to operate the commission, according to CBS.

By Aghakazim Guliyev