SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Californians will face a choice this November of whether to divide the nations most populous state into three, an effort that would radically shake up not only the West Coast, but the entire nation.
The Cal 3 initiative is driven by venture capitalist Tim Draper, who has tried and failed in the past to place an effort to break up California on the ballot, including a bid in 2016 to create six separate states. Backers of the measure argue California has become ungovernable because of its economic and geographic diversity as well as its population approaching 40 million people.
Election officials say this years effort gathered the roughly 365,000 signatures it needed to land on the general election ballot. It will be officially certified later this month. Even if it wins passage from voters, the measure would face significant hurdles.
THE SPLIT
California would break into three states Northern California, California and Southern California. The measure aims to create states with relatively equal populations and economic strengths.
The new Northern California would include 40 counties, including Sacramento, San Jose and San Francisco as well as the states wine country and rural northern areas.
Keeping the name California would be a group of six counties centered around Los Angeles, with a total population of 12.3 million people.
Southern California, meanwhile, would include Orange and San Diego Counties as well whats now known as Californias Central Valley and Inland Empire.
NATIONAL REACH
Its not just California that would feel the effects of such a change.
Turning one state into three would create four new U.S. senators, a move that would significantly boost Californians influence in Washington. The number of representatives in the U.S. House could change slightly based on each states population breakdown. Three separate Californias would also shake up the Electoral College, which picks the president.
Although California as it exists today is heavily Democratic, one of the new Californias might not be. The newly proposed Southern California includes traditionally Republican areas such as Orange County. Democraticvoters currently edge out Republicans in the 12 counties, but not by much. That could potentially boost the GOPs West Coast representation in Congress.
WHOS BEHIND IT Draper is a Silicon Valley venture capitalist known for investing in companies such as Skype, Tesla and Hotmail and has poured millions of dollars into efforts to break up California.
Draper argues that California has become nearly ungovernable because of its diverse economies and population. He and backers also argue that voters outside of large urban areas such as Los Angeles are underserved in Sacramento because so many state lawmakers come from major cities.
Breaking the states into three smaller, more manageable states means those states will be more responsible and more responsive, said Peggy Grande, a Cal 3 spokeswoman.
