Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) announced on March 17 that Protect Girls Sports in Maine had submitted a sufficient number of signatures to qualify its initiative for the ballot. The initiative would require that public school sports teams designated for girls or boys be limited to students of the corresponding sex, as recorded on their original birth certificate.
Bellows’ announcement stated that the support committee had submitted a total of 79,692 signatures. Of those, 71,033 signatures were certified and found valid, and 8,659 signatures were invalid, resulting in a signature validity rate of 89.1%.
Bellows’ office has been reviewing the signatures since Feb. 2, when the campaign first submitted them. The initiative now goes before the Maine State Legislature.
In Maine, initiated state statutes are indirect, meaning initiated measures go before the state legislature after signatures are submitted. If they approve the measure, the initiative is enacted and not placed on the ballot. If the state legislature rejects the initiative, does not vote on it, or the governor vetoes the legislature's approval, the initiative is put on the ballot for voters to decide.
Additionally, in Maine, the state legislature can place a competing measure on the ballot. Under Maine law, ballots are organized so that voters may select one of the measures or reject both, eliminating the possibility that both would be approved by a majority. If no measure is approved by a majority of the voters casting a vote on both measures, then the measure that receives the most votes will be placed on the next statewide ballot within 60 days, provided it received approval from at least one-third of all the votes cast for or against the measures.
As of 2026, Maine has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.
Support for the initiative
Protect Girls Sports in Maine is leading the campaign in support of the initiative. A statement on their website states, “The truth is, males are currently in female sports, taking female trophies, and invading female safe spaces (like locker rooms and bathrooms). This is not a far away concept; it is happening right here in Maine. Concerned parents have brought these issues to their school boards, but the Maine Principal’ Association and State Legislature have failed to act. It’s now time that we – as citizens of this great state – decide for ourselves what we want for our kids.”
The measure has also been endorsed by the Republican Party of Maine, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R), and former Gov. Paul LePage (R).
Kristina Parker, the communications director for the Republican Party of Maine, stated, “Maine's Democrat legislature and governor has refused to comply with Title IX and has forced the hand of Mainers to take upon the task. Many claim that only a handful of trans athletes doesn't matter, however there are thousands of female athletes who desire equal and uniform standards. It affects all of us. We want everyone to be safe and be able to play a fair game.”
Through Dec. 31, 2025, the PAC Safeguard Girls Sports raised $800,000 in contributions in support of the initiative. Richard Uihlein donated that total amount.
Opposition to the initiative
The Campaign for Free and Fair Schools is leading the campaign in opposition to the initiative. David Farmer, a spokesperson for the coalition, said, “An out-of-state billionaire has paid out-of-state political consultants to hire out-of-state signature gatherers to attack Maine public schools and long-standing policies regarding school sports and bathrooms. This attack on public education is being propped up by one of the same billionaires who is spending millions of dollars to rig our country for the rich.”
Opponents of the initiative include EqualityMaine, Maine Women’s Lobby, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, Maine Chapter.
Gia Drew, executive director of EqualityMaine, said in opposition to the initiative, "If voters approve it, this measure would open the door to harassment, bullying and abuse of children. It would embolden adults and members of the public to harass and scrutinize student athletes who just want to be on the team. Enshrining the harassment of LGBTQ+ students into state law would hurt vulnerable kids and send the wrong message about who we are as Mainers."
Other ballot measures addressing sports eligibility requirements based on sex
Two measures that address transgender sports participation have qualified for statewide ballots in 2026.
- Colorado - The measure would require student athletes to participate on men's or women's school and collegiate athletic teams that match their sex, defined as biological reproductive systems.
- Washington - The measure would require students seeking to participate in athletic activities designated for female students to submit documentation from their healthcare provider verifying the student’s biological sex based on "reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or normal endogenously produced testosterone levels."
Voters in two other states could decide on ballot measures related to sports eligibility requirements based on sex.
- Nevada - The measure would require that eligibility for sports or athletic competitions in public schools and colleges is based upon the sex of the athlete recorded at birth , and that males are not permitted to participate in a sport or competition designated for females.
- Nebraska - The measure would require schools to designate sports teams as male, female, or co-ed and prohibit male participation on female sports teams.
Maine 2026 ballot measures
No other ballot measures have been certified for the November 2026 ballot. However, as of March 16, the Maine State Legislature has engrossed three constitutional amendments that, if approved, will be decided by voters. One would prohibit the state from denying rights based on “actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, physical or mental disability, ancestry or national origin." A second would require the state auditor to be chosen by a vote of the state senators and representatives. The third would create a constitutional right to hunt and fish.
Read more: