Supporters of Maine transgender sports referendum say they’ll wait until 2027
Transgender‑sports referendum faces new deadline after state ruling
Supporters of a Maine citizen initiative that would bar transgender students from participating on school sports teams in alignment with their gender identity are scrambling to meet the 2027 ballot deadline after the state’s Secretary of State determined the measure could not appear on the 2026 ballot.
In a Thursday‑morning email to volunteers, referendum leader Leyland Streiff explained, “While our appeal is still making its way through federal court, it will not be decided in time for the November 2026 ballots to be printed. So, we must refocus our efforts on 2027, and we need your help to ensure this gets voted on next year.” He urged supporters to gather roughly 5,000 new signatures by early October and to meet on the weekend of September 26‑27 for a targeted collection drive.
The initiative, which would require public‑school students to compete on teams that match the sex listed on their birth certificates and would mandate separate bathrooms and locker rooms for students based on sex assigned at birth, failed to qualify for the 2026 ballot after Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ruled the petition ineligible on May 26. The ruling came after Bellows’ office found that the group’s signatures were not enough in number or validity.
Of the close to 80,000 signatures turned in February, 71,033 were initially deemed valid. However, 4,000 more were found to be invalid in the May decision, leaving the group about 500 signatures short of the 67,682 needed for a citizen initiative to qualify for the ballot. The signature threshold is set at 1 % of votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election and will adjust after November 3.
Signatures are only valid for one year, and the deadline for resubmission to appear on the 2027 ballot is in late January. According to a spokesperson for the Department of the Secretary of State, the group will need to file again before that deadline.
A federal lawsuit was filed in July by a signature gatherer and three petition signers who challenged Bellows’ ruling. The suit argues that the state improperly dismissed the petition and seeks to overturn the decision.
Opponents of the referendum include EqualityMaine, the Maine Women’s Lobby, and GLAD Law, which contend that the measure would unfairly target transgender students and could impose costly construction and legal expenses on schools. The groups also criticized the substantial funding the initiative received from Richard Uihlein—a Wisconsin‑based billionaire and founder of Uline Corp.—and his Restoration of America PAC, which donated $850,000 to a ballot‑question committee supporting the measure.
Streiff’s email concluded with a rallying call: “This is our chance to stand up, as Mainers, and protect the boundaries and sex‑based civil rights of all kids.” Supporters and opponents alike are watching closely as the referendum’s fate hinges on the 2027 ballot process and the outcome of the pending federal lawsuit.
