Nebraska voters will be deciding a constitutional amendment establishing sex-based eligibility requirements for school and college sports in the state. It will appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot.
The campaign behind the initiative, Fairness for Girls, reported submitting 211,000 signatures on June 30, 2026. On Aug. 28, Secretary of State Bob Evnen (R) reported that the campaign submitted enough valid signatures, with at least 138,613 validated, meeting the signature requirement to be certified for the ballot. Officials stopped verification after reaching 110% of the required totals. In Nebraska, to amend the state constitution, the campaign needed to submit signatures equal to 10% of registered voters in the state at the time of the petition filing deadline, as well as having a distribution requirement of 5% of the registered voters in two-fifths (38) of Nebraska's 93 counties.
The amendment would amend the state constitution to require schools to designate sports teams as male, female, or co-ed. It would also prohibit "athletic teams or sports designated for females, women, or girls" from being "open to students of the male sex." The requirements would apply to teams sponsored by public schools and to private school teams that compete against public school teams. The amendment would also authorize the Nebraska State Legislature to pass laws to facilitate the amendment's operation.
During the 2025 legislative session, the Nebraska State Legislature enacted a law requiring students participating in public K-12 or collegiate sports to compete on teams designated for their sex, which the law defines according to reproductive systems. The law also requires each student to provide the school with a document, signed by or under the authority of a doctor, confirming the student’s sex.
In a statement supporting the amendment, the Nebraska Family Alliance said, “Males have physical advantages over young girls—higher muscle mass, bone density, and testosterone levels—which gives them a clear advantage. Girls lose opportunities for scholarships, medals, and advancement when they’re forced to compete against boys. Privacy, dignity, and safety are fundamental rights of every Nebraskan, and 'Fairness for Girls' will enshrine protections for girls’ sports into Nebraska’s constitution.”
In a statement opposing the amendment, Rainbow Parents of Nebraska said, “Trans people make up less than 1% of our state’s population. Trans athletes are an even smaller percentage of that 1%. This does NOT protect women as they like to claim. This is another distraction and an attempt to increase conservative voter turnout.”
As of July 31, 2026, Fairness for Girls reported $3.1 million in cash contributions, all coming from Restore the Good Life Inc., a nonprofit organization.
In 2026, voters will decide at least four statewide measures related to sex-based requirements for school athletics—similar measures will be decided in Arizona, Colorado, and Washington. Two measures will also be decided in Colorado and Missouri to prohibit certain medical and surgical procedures for transgender minors when provided to alter sex characteristics. This is the first year that measures relating to these policies will appear on statewide ballots.
Nebraska voters will be deciding four total statewide ballot measures on Nov. 3, 2026.
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