Residents of rural communities in Northern California are seeking to create their own state.

Well, not for residents in Northern California's Modoc County. On Tuesday, supervisors of the small, rural county  voted 4-0 in favor of seceding from the state of California and forming a 51st state: "Jefferson".

Yes, this is real. 

Modoc County isn't the first body in California to make this decision; earlier this month Modoc's neighbor, Siksiyou County, made a similar vote. 

It may sound like a throwback to the events leading up to the civil war, but supporters of the secession say their lack of representation in state affairs is as urgent and relevant of an issue as any. Because California's legislative officials are elected in proportion to county population, rural counties are not well represented, according to Modoc County Board Chairwoman Geri Byrne.

"People in LA have no clue what we face," Byrne said, according to Al Jazeera. "We don't tell people in Los Angeles how to manage crime, so why should they tell us how to farm potatoes?"

Read The Los Angeles Times' coverage of the issues underlying the proposed 51st state.

To contact Executive Producer Raishad Hardnett, email him or find him on Twitter.