Trending Now - Maine's Transgender Sports Referendum Blocked by Signature Issues

WHO:

The Portland Press Herald - Chief Deputy Secretary of State Katherine McBrien ruled that the group fell roughly 500 valid signatures short of the 67,682 needed to appear on the ballot.

The Portland Press Herald - A spokesperson for Protect Girls’ Sports, the advocacy group behind the referendum, could not be immediately reached for comment.

ABC News - Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced the decision regarding the initiative.

The Portland Press Herald - Jim Deyermond, the Maine GOP chairperson, criticized Bellows' decision.

The Portland Press Herald - Richard Uihlein, an Illinois businessman, contributed $800,000 to support the referendum effort.

The Portland Press Herald - David Farmer, campaign manager for the Campaign for Free and Fair Schools, commented on the decision.

WHAT:

The Portland Press Herald - Secretary of State Shenna Bellows stated that the ruling marks a reversal from her previous decision that the proposal had qualified for the ballot.

The Portland Press Herald - Bellows confirmed that the initiative would have required Maine schools to have separate bathrooms and locker rooms based on the sex assigned at birth and barred transgender athletes from competing in alignment with their gender identity.

The Portland Press Herald - The Secretary of State’s office indicated that the wording of the question will still be released on Thursday in case a judge overturns her decision.

The Portland Press Herald - Bellows noted that 1,037 signatures were invalidated due to incomplete or improperly administered circulator oaths, 2,335 were invalidated for not filing necessary affidavits, and 162 were invalidated because they were signed by another person.

ABC News - Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows stated that more than 12,000 signatures on the petition for the referendum were invalid.

The Portland Press Herald - Bellows emphasized that the petition drive was a few hundred signatures short of the 67,682 required for the initiative to make the ballot.

The Portland Press Herald - Bellows noted that the Secretary of State’s office released a recommended decision about the initiative last week, stating that the petition “does not meet the constitutional threshold” of valid signatures.

The Portland Press Herald - Bellows confirmed she would act on the recommendation from McBrien regarding the invalid signatures.

The Portland Press Herald - Bellows stated that two out-of-state signature collectors violated state law by leaving their petitions unattended.

ABC News - An initiative intended to limit transgender students’ ability to participate in sports has been removed from the ballot due to invalid signatures.

The Portland Press Herald - The initiative did not qualify for the November ballot because organizers fell roughly 500 valid signatures short of the 67,682 needed.

The Portland Press Herald - The ballot initiative would have required separate bathrooms and locker rooms for students based on the sex assigned at birth and barred transgender athletes from competing in alignment with their gender identity.

The Portland Press Herald - A total of 1,037 signatures were invalidated due to incomplete or improperly administered circulator oaths, 2,335 were invalidated for not filing necessary affidavits, and 162 were invalidated because they were signed by another person.

WHERE:

The Portland Press Herald - The announcement was made in Maine.

WHEN:

The Portland Press Herald - The Secretary of State’s office stated that proponents have 10 days to appeal the decision.

The Portland Press Herald - The wording of the question will be released on Thursday in case a judge overturns the decision.

The Portland Press Herald - Shenna Bellows previously ruled that the referendum had qualified for the ballot by more than 3,000 signatures.

WHY:

The Portland Press Herald - Bellows emphasized that her decision was based on evidence and facts presented during the hearing process, stating, “Citizen initiatives are direct democracy. Just as we take voting security seriously, we take petition integrity seriously.”

ABC News - Bellows asserted, “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 an initiative on the ballot follow the law.”

The Portland Press Herald - Bellows emphasized that her decision was based on evidence and facts presented during the hearing process.

The Portland Press Herald - Bellows stated that the decision was based on the failure of out-of-state circulators to meet legal requirements for petitions.

The Portland Press Herald - Bellows emphasized the importance of petition integrity and the safeguarding of elections for Maine voters.

HOW:

The Portland Press Herald - Bellows defended her office’s initial review, stating that issues with the petitions could only have been surfaced through the hearing process, which allowed for additional evidence and sworn statements.

The Portland Press Herald - A more detailed review after the issue was remanded back to her office resulted in 1,037 signatures being invalidated due to incomplete or improperly administered circulator oaths.

The Portland Press Herald - The decision followed a legal review and a more detailed examination of the signatures after a court remanded the case back to the Secretary of State's office.

(UPDATED May 27, 2026 19:45 UTC)

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced a reversal of her earlier decision, stating that a proposed initiative requiring separate bathrooms and locker rooms in Maine schools based on sex assigned at birth, as well as barring transgender athletes from competing in alignment with their gender identity, will not qualify for the ballot. Bellows explained that over 1,000 signatures were invalidated due to various issues, including incomplete oaths and missing affidavits, emphasizing the importance of petition integrity in the democratic process. The wording of the question will still be released on Thursday, in case a judge decides to overturn her ruling.

(UPDATED May 27, 2026 08:20 UTC)

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has announced that over 12,000 signatures on a petition for a referendum were deemed invalid, leaving the drive a few hundred signatures short of the required 67,682 for the initiative to appear on the ballot. Bellows emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of petitions, stating that her office takes this matter as seriously as the security of voting itself. She defended the initial review process, explaining that any issues with the petitions could only have been identified through a hearing that allowed for additional evidence and sworn statements.

(UPDATED May 26, 2026 23:23 UTC)

In a recent ruling, Chief Deputy Secretary of State Katherine McBrien determined that the advocacy group Protect Girls’ Sports fell about 500 valid signatures short of the 67,682 needed to qualify for the ballot. Secretary of State Bellows confirmed she would follow McBrien's recommendation to invalidate the signatures, noting that two out-of-state collectors broke state law by leaving their petitions unattended. Bellows emphasized that her decision was rooted in the evidence and facts presented during the hearing, which led to the invalidation of 1,037 signatures due to incomplete or improperly administered circulator oaths.

(UPDATED May 26, 2026 21:30 UTC)

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced that an initiative aimed at limiting transgender students' participation in sports has been removed from the ballot due to invalid signatures, falling approximately 500 signatures short of the required 67,682. The decision, which emphasized the importance of petition integrity, invalidated a total of 1,037 signatures for incomplete oaths and 2,335 for missing affidavits, among other reasons. Proponents now have 10 days to appeal this ruling, and the wording of the question will be released on Thursday in the event of a judicial overturn.