SACRAMENTO  -  Citizens for Cal 3 today announced their ballot initiative was approved for inclusion on the statewide election this November. This qualification by the California State Office of Elections gives Californians an unprecedented opportunity to direct a more promising future for their communities. The Cal 3 ballot initiative will give all Californians a vote to create three states from the existing one.

"This milestone is a testament to the energized spirit of Californians wanting to create a better future for themselves and their communities," Citizens for Cal 3 spokesperson Peggy Grande said. "This November, all Californians have the opportunity to send the message they are ready for solutions to our most pressing state issues in failing education, crumbling infrastructure, sky-high taxes and stagnation in state government."

The Cal 3 initiative gathered and submitted to the California Secretary of State office more than double the required signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, representing citizens who supported the opportunity to declare their desire for a new direction. Cal 3 qualified for the ballot with more than the required number of signatures, representing Californians from all 58 counties.

"The growing discontent with the ineffectiveness of the current state government system is apparent with the success of this first step," Grande said. "All Californians deserve more from their state, and with Cal 3, more regional responsiveness and more meaningful results will create a promising future for everyone."

Last month, a new analysis from U.S. News & World Report and McKinsey's "Leading States Index" quantified Californians' enthusiasm for a change with Cal 3, ranking California an unacceptable 50th out of 50 U.S. states in "Quality of Life" and near the bottom of the nation in critical areas like K-12 Education, Road Quality, Tax Burden and Long-Term Fiscal Stability.

"The California state government isn't too big to fail, because it is already failing its citizens in so many crucial ways," Grande said. "The reality is that for an overmatched, overstretched and overwrought state-government structure, it is too big to succeed. Californians deserve a better future."

Once approved by voters through the ballot this November, the Cal 3 initiative would move forward to the U.S. Congress and, ultimately, the President of the United States for ratification.

For more information, visit Cal3.com, Cal 3 on Facebook, @votecal3 on Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #votecal3