A proposed ballot initiative in Maine that aimed to restrict transgender students' participation in school sports and bathroom access has been blocked from the November ballot due to insufficient valid signatures. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced on Tuesday that more than 12,000 signatures on the petition were invalid, leaving the campaign a few hundred short of the required 67,682.
The initiative, backed by the group Protect Girls Sports in Maine, would have asked voters whether public schools should limit bathroom and sports access based on the gender listed on a child's birth certificate. Bellows, a Democrat running for governor, emphasised the importance of following legal procedures for petition drives, stating, 'We take the integrity of the petitions just as seriously as we take the security of voting.'
The decision represents a setback for the nationwide movement to restrict transgender athletes, which has gained traction in recent years. At least 30 states have laws or policies limiting transgender girls' and women's participation in female sports, while 19 states restrict bathroom access in public schools. However, none of these measures have been enacted through ballot initiatives.
Supporters of the Maine proposal have 10 days to appeal Bellows' ruling. Leyland Streiff, principal officer of Protect Girls Sports in Maine, indicated the group would continue to defend the measure. Opponents, including the Campaign for Free and Fair Schools, welcomed the decision, with campaign manager David Farmer stating that the petitioners 'failed to follow the rules.'
