Status verified as of 22 September 2026. Political positions change; this explainer describes the documented position on that date.
Current position
California remains a state of the United States. Yes California, the movement's original organised vehicle, dissolved as a political committee in 2024. Two separate, unrelated ballot-initiative efforts are pursuing an independence plebiscite for 2026 and a state viability-study commission for 2028, respectively.[1] [2]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
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
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2.
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
Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/california-independence/status · last substantive update 24 September 2026.