Leaders of Calexit petition plan to start over, refile ballot initiative
"We are going to re-file the ballot initiative so we can start the clock back for five-and-a-half months," said Marcus Ruiz Evans, the leader of Calexit.
Ruiz Evans said the leadership doesn't want to chance not meeting the required signature threshold, so they will not be submitting any by the July 22 deadline set by the California Secretary of State's Office. Proponents had to submit at least 546,651 signatures for their initiative to qualify for the 2028 ballot.
"We felt that we had the requisite number of signatures, but we did not have the insulation amount. You want to get about 550,000 signatures, but most people will tell you that you need an additional 100,000-300,000 because a lot of those signatures will be invalidated," he said. "Given that this is a radical political concept, we figured that it would be under a high level of scrutiny."
The initiative would not have been a vote for California to actually secede, as the question still raises numerous legal questions and a lot of scrutiny.
If voters approved it, it would have put the non-binding question on the 2028 ballot: "Should California leave the United States and become a free and independent country?" The measure also would have established an official commission to study California's viability as an independent nation.
Approval would require at least 50% voter participation and 55% voting "yes."
CBS News Bay Area asked Ruiz Evans about his response to those who would say Calexit failed because of the decision to re-file.
"I say, based on what? We didn't get enough signatures this time? Okay," Ruiz Evans said.
He points towards other movements, such as the legalization of cannabis and same-sex marriage, that took several attempts and many years to come to fruition.
"Both of those movements took about 10 to 12 years to go from 'that will never happen' to full blown legality," he said.
While the movement gained notariety following Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election, Ruiz Evans previously told CBS News Bay Area that his idea for California to secede dates back to 2007.
Ruiz Evans explained the Calexit movement's leadership is changing its approach, with the strategy shifting from a grassroots feel to that of a professional operation. He points towards several upcoming events designed to focus on education and fundraising outreach.
"The deadline to re-file is mid-August. We're looking to do this at the beginning of August," he said.
Though the signature gathering process will start from scratch, he believes the Calexit movement will gain momentum as tensions continue to rise within the current political atmosphere.
"The climate is riper than ever," he said. "The soil is more fertile than it's been in 10 years."
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