California Independence Plebiscite Initiative (2026)
| California Independence Plebiscite Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2026 | |
| Topic Federal constitutional issues | |
| Status Cleared for signature gathering | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The California Independence Plebiscite Initiative (#25-0010) may appear on the ballot in California as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2026.
The initiative would require an independence plebiscite on November 3, 2026, which would ask voters, "Should California leave the United States and become a free and independent country?" To be considered "a vote of no confidence in the United States of America and an expression of the will of the people of California to become a free and independent country," turnout would need to be at least 50% and at least 55% of those who turned out would need to vote "Yes."[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title would have been as follows:[2]
| “ | Requires future vote on whether California should become independent country. Initiative statute.[3] | ” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets was as follows:[2]
| “ | If enacted, this measure places the following question on November 2028 ballot: “Should California leave the United States and become a free and independent country?” If at least 50% of registered voters participate in that election, and at least 55% vote “yes,” it would constitute “a vote of no confidence in the United States of America” and “expression of the will of the people of California” to become an independent country, but would not change California’s current government or relationship with the United States. Creates commission to report on California’s viability as independent country. [3] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the ballot measure can be read here.
Path to the ballot
An initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are 21 states that allow citizens to initiate state statutes, including 14 that provide for direct initiatives and nine (9) that provide for indirect initiatives (two provide for both). An indirect initiated state statute goes to the legislature after a successful signature drive. The legislatures in these states have the option of approving the initiative itself, rather than the initiative appearing on the ballot.
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated state statute is equal to 5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval. The requirements to get initiated state statutes certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures: 546,651 valid signatures are required.
- Deadline: The deadline for signature verification is June 25, 2026. However, the secretary of state suggested deadlines for turning in signatures of January 12, 2026, for initiatives needing a full check of signatures and April 17, 2026, for initiatives needing a random sample of signatures verified.
Initiative #24-0001
The following is the timeline of the initiative:
- November 19, 2024: Marcus Evans filed the initiative.[4]
- On January 23, 2025: The secretary of state cleared the initiative for signature gathering.[4]
- On July 22, 2025: The initiative's circulation deadline, the campaign behind the initiative submitted an insufficient number of signatures.[5]
Initiative #25-0010
The following is the timeline of the initiative:[4]
- August 11, 2025: Marcus Evans filed a second version of the initiative.
- October 15, 2025: The initiative was cleared for signature gathering.
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Attorney General, "Full text #25-0010," accessed November 26, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 California Secretary of State, "Initiatives and Referenda Cleared for Circulation," accessed January 24, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 California Attorney General, "Initiatives Pending Review," accessed November 26, 2024
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Initiatives and Referenda Pending Raw Count of Signatures," accessed July 25, 2025
