Full Breakdown
Maine Transgender Sports Initiative Disqualified After Signature Review
5/27/2026, 10:44:31 PM
Ballot Initiative Disqualified
On May 26, 2026 Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced that the citizen-initiated referendum from Protect Girls Sports in Maine will not appear on the November ballot. The measure would have required public schools to separate bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams by birth-sex and to bar transgender athletes from competing in alignment with gender identity. After a review invalidated more than 12,500 signatures, the petition fell short of the 67,682 valid signatures required, leaving a deficit of about 532 signatures and removing the proposal from this election cycle.
Background and National Context
The initiative surfaced amid a wave of state efforts to restrict transgender students, a strategy backed by conservative donor Richard Uihlein, who contributed $800,000. Maine became a focal point after Democratic Governor Janet Mills clashed with President Donald Trump over transgender-rights policies. The petition was organized by Protect Girls Sports in Maine, led by Leyland Streiff; opposition was led by David Farmer of the Campaign for Free and Fair Schools.
Timeline
Supporters submitted over 71,000 signatures in early 2026, prompting Bellows to certify the measure. A March lawsuit triggered a court-ordered review. In early May, chief deputy secretary Katherine McBrien recommended rejecting roughly 12,500 signatures, and Bellows affirmed the decision on May 26.
Official Statements & Responses
Bellows said her office reviews evidence and treats petition integrity with the same seriousness as voting security, noting out-of-state circulators failed to follow Maine law. The Campaign for Free and Fair Schools praised the ruling as evidence that Maine’s election safeguards work.
Opposition View
Opponents say the measure would strip transgender students of bathroom and sports rights and criticize the use of out-of-state paid circulators and a billionaire donor as violations of Maine’s petition rules. David Farmer argued the decision shows the system protecting electoral integrity.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Citizen initiatives are direct democracy. Just as we take voting security seriously, we take petition integrity seriously,” — Shenna Bellows, Secretary of State
- “We take the integrity of the petitions just as seriously as we take the security of voting. It's really important that anyone seeking to place a initiative on the ballot follow the law,” — Shenna Bellows
- “My job as secretary of state is to review the evidence,” — Shenna Bellows
- “Maine has strict rules in place to protect the integrity of our elections and our system of direct democracy,” — David Farmer, Campaign for Free and Fair Schools
What’s Next
Protect Girls Sports in Maine has ten days to appeal to the Maine Superior Court. If the appeal fails, the group may regroup to gather new signatures for a future ballot, potentially extending the effort into 2027.
