California might actually, seriously be split up into three separate states if voters are into it.
California's Secretary of State has officially confirmed that a proposal has become eligible to be on the state's ballot this November. If the proposal passes, California would be divided into California, Northern California, and Southern California.
The face behind the ballot is Tim Draper, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who sponsored the measure. Draper told The Los Angeles Times in an email after he initially submitted the proposal last summer. "Three states will get us better infrastructure, better education and lower taxes," he wrote. "States will be more accountable to us and can cooperate and compete for citizens."
Cal3provides has mapped out a series of statistics regarding how the Golden State would be split up. California would be comprised of about 12.3 million residents, centered around Los Angeles County, and would include five other counties along the coast and to the north. Southern California would have 12 counties with 13.9 million people. Northern California would be made of 40 counties and 13.9 million residents.
Cal3 noted that if the ballot is passed, Congress would have to approve the state's division. That day may not come: according to an April poll from Survey USA, voters weren't in favor of splitting the state, with a huge four-to-one margin.
