California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has approved a campaign to collect signatures for a potential 2028 ballot measure asking whether California should leave the United States and become an independent country. The initiative, spearheaded by Marcus Evans and supported by the Calexit movement, must gather 546,651 signatures by July 22, 2025, to qualify for the ballot.
California, the U.S.‘s most populous and wealthiest state, boasts the world’s fifth-largest economy, surpassing nations like India and the UK. The proposal cites political dissatisfaction, particularly following Donald Trump’s election, as a driving force. Calexit argued that Trump’s presidency represented “an attack on everything California cares about,” further strengthening their push for independence.
The campaign’s question is direct: “Should California leave the United States and become a free and independent country?” To pass, at least 50% of registered voters must participate, with 55% voting “yes.” While the vote would not be legally binding under U.S. law, the campaign describes it as an “expression of the will of the people of California.”
If approved, the proposal would allocate $10 million for an initial study on California’s viability as an independent nation, with $2 million annually to maintain the effort. However, the U.S. Constitution does not allow for state secession, and the Supreme Court ruled in 1869 that states cannot leave the Union without the consent of Congress or revolution.
The petition comes amidst renewed tensions surrounding Trump’s political resurgence. The Calexit movement claims California’s future lies outside the Union, warning against waiting until 2028 to act. Critics, however, have dismissed the effort as politically motivated and impractical.
Will California’s independence movement gain traction, or is this just another chapter in the state’s history of political boldness? Time will tell.
