A proposed Maine ballot initiative aimed at restricting transgender students from participating in school sports and using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity will not appear on the November 2026 ballot after state officials invalidated thousands of petition signatures.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced Tuesday that more than 12,000 signatures submitted by the group Protect Girls Sports in Maine were ruled invalid during the state’s review process. The campaign ultimately fell several hundred signatures short of the 67,682 valid signatures required to qualify for the ballot.
The proposed referendum sought to require public schools to separate sports participation, bathrooms, locker rooms, and similar facilities based strictly on the sex listed on a student’s birth certificate. If approved by voters, the measure would have significantly rolled back existing protections for transgender students in Maine schools.
According to reporting from the Bangor Daily News, the invalidated signatures were tied to several issues uncovered during court-ordered hearings. State officials cited circulator misconduct, improperly handled petitions, missing legal requirements, and at least one allegedly forged signature. One petition circulator reportedly had all 61 of their collected signatures rejected after reviewers found no matches with voter records.
Bellows defended the decision during a press conference, saying the ruling was based on evidence and election law rather than politics. “We take the integrity of the petitions just as seriously as we take the security of voting,” Bellows said.
Supporters of the referendum criticized the decision and signaled they plan to continue fighting for the measure. Under Maine law, petition organizers have 10 days to appeal the ruling in court.
The failed referendum effort had become part of a larger national push targeting transgender participation in sports and public life. Maine found itself at the center of national attention in 2025 after a public clash between Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and President Donald Trump over transgender athlete policies.
Maine currently maintains statewide protections for LGBTQ+ residents, including protections based on gender identity in education and public accommodations. The state has also previously defended transgender students’ rights in court.
While similar anti-trans legislation has passed in multiple states through legislatures, ballot initiatives targeting transgender students remain relatively uncommon. The Maine decision represents a significant setback for groups attempting to bring those restrictions directly to voters in 2026.
