27.01.2025 18:31
The "Calexit," which was brought up during President Donald Trump's first term, has resurfaced officially with the start of his second term. The signature campaign demanding the independence of the state of California has been relaunched. State residents will attempt to gather the necessary number of signatures to separate from the United States. However, the U.S. Constitution poses a barrier to this demand.
Residents of California, who voted for the Democratic Party in the presidential race on November 5 in the United States, wanted to declare independence when the Republican Party candidate Donald Trump won the election. For this, they requested a referendum to be held, similar to what the UK did when leaving the European Union. The name of this referendum is even clear: Calexit!
DEADLINE UNTIL JULY 22 Marcus Ruiz Evans, who started the Calexit campaign, stated that according to the state's regulations, they need to collect signatures from five percent of registered voters in order for this issue to be included on the ballot in the elections in November 2028. This means that 546,651 people living in California must sign. According to the announcement, Evans has until July 22 to submit the signatures he collected to the regional election authorities.
CALIFORNIA FREEDOM MOVEMENT: CALEXIT The proposal for California to separate from the United States and become an independent state is a topic that comes up from time to time. After Donald Trump's election victory in 2016, the "Calexit" campaign was launched again on social media, and according to the campaign's owners, approximately 220,000 people showed interest in the campaign.
Regarding the new "Calexit" campaign initiated by Evans, it is stated that the goal is to ensure a future where the community in California governs itself. The site states, "We unite under a single mission as Calexit: to make California a free, independent, and prosperous nation governed solely by the people of California. Make California independent!" The petition also calls for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which does not grant the right to secede to the states.
HOW DOES THE PETITION PROCESS WORK? Under the First Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of expression, religion, and the press, the right to peacefully assemble, and the right to petition the government, citizens have the right to petition the government on any issue. Whether the petition is submitted for a public vote depends on the type of petition, the legal framework of the state, and the purpose of the petition.
In the case of "Calexit," as with petitions proposing amendments to the Constitution, sufficient signatures must be collected. If these signatures are deemed valid, the proposal is submitted for a public vote. The process begins when the proposer submits their petition regarding the proposal they wish to be put to a public vote to the Attorney General's Office for evaluation. The Attorney General prepares the necessary elements and a summary of the proposal, allowing voters to be informed about the purpose and effects of the proposal. Once the petitions are completed, the Attorney General communicates the documents to both the proposer and the relevant state authorities so that the signature collection process can begin. After receiving approval from both sides, the process of collecting signatures from registered state voters officially begins. The proposer submits the collected signatures to the regional election officials by the end of the time granted to them.
THE ANSWER WILL BE 'YES' OR 'NO' The election officials who check the validity of the signatures and whether the required number has been reached will include the issue in the next election if they approve a sufficient number of valid signatures. In the elections, voters will be asked a question regarding the proposal, allowing them to vote "Yes" or "No." Specifically for the "Calexit" campaign, California voters will be expected to answer the question, "Should the state separate from the U.S. and become a free and independent country?" To accept the proposal, at least 50% of registered voters must participate in the election, and at least 55% of the votes must be "Yes." In the process that will be initiated after the referendum, there are various steps, such as forming a commission to report on the conditions under which the state can live as an independent country. Conditions such as having at least 20 members of the state commission nominated by at least 100 registered voters and having resided in the state for at least 5 years are required.
THE CONSTITUTION DOES NOT ALLOW IT There are no provisions in the U.S. Constitution regulating the legal separation of a state from the country. In the U.S. Supreme Court's 1869 decision in "Texas v. White," it was ruled that states do not have the right to unilaterally secede. The first section of Article 3 of the California State Constitution states that the state is "an inseparable part of the United States."