Independence movements

History of California independence advocacy

From the 2015 founding of Yes California to the separate 2026 and 2028 ballot-initiative efforts.

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2015: founding of Yes California

Louis Marinelli founded Yes California in 2015, inspired by the Yes Scotland campaign.[1]

2017: collapse of the signature drive

In April 2017, Marinelli disbanded the campaign after relocating to Russia.[2]

2024-2028: dissolution and new ballot initiatives

Yes California dissolved as a political committee in 2024.[3]

A 2026 initiative would require an independence plebiscite with specified thresholds,[4] while a separate 2028-targeted measure would require a state commission to study independent viability.[5]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: Louis Marinelli founded Yes California in 2015 (initially under the name Sovereign California), a campaign for California independence from the United States, explicitly inspired by the Yes Scotland campaign during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.

  2. 2.

    Claim: In April 2017, Marinelli abruptly disbanded the Yes California campaign and withdrew its proposed ballot initiative after relocating to Russia, ending the organisation's signature-gathering effort; the campaign faced criticism from other California secession proponents over the timing and circumstances of the withdrawal.

  3. 3.

    Claim: Yes California ceased operating as a political action committee in 2024.

  4. 4.

    Claim: A 2026 ballot initiative, if approved, would require an independence plebiscite asking California voters "Should California leave the United States and become a free and independent country?", with a result treated as an expression of the state's will only if turnout reached at least 50% and at least 55% of those voting chose "Yes."

    • California Independence Plebiscite Initiative (2026) (Ballotpedia) link, Initiative text section. Source record
  5. 5.

    Claim: A separate measure introduced by Fresno resident Marcus Evans, requiring more than 500,000 signatures to qualify, would require the state to create a 20-member commission to study California's viability as an independent country and publish a report the following year, targeting the 2028 ballot.

    • New "Calexit" bid for California secession approved for signature gathering (CBS News Sacramento) link, Measure description section. Source record

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Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/california-independence/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.