Official recommends Maine transgender sports referendum be invalidated
McBrien said the campaign fell 532 signatures short after reviewing thousands of challenged petitions, leaving final placement on Bellows’ desk.
- Chief Deputy Secretary of State Katherine McBrien recommended on Thursday that Maine's proposed transgender sports referendum be invalidated, finding supporters gathered only 67,150 valid signatures—falling 532 short of the 67,682 required for the November ballot.
- Evidence presented at a recent hearing showed paid circulators left petition forms unattended and failed to properly register, prompting McBrien to invalidate 12,542 signatures collected by Protect Girls Sports in Maine .
- Reviewing individual circulator submissions, McBrien found all 61 signatures submitted by Rokelle Harris failed verification; she noted the evidence did not rise to proving fraudulent conduct by circulators.
- Leyland Streiff, a leader of Protect Girls Sports, said Thursday the group is reviewing the decision and will file objections before Saturday's deadline, while opponents called it a victory for election integrity.
- Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows will issue a final determination on Tuesday after reviewing objections and McBrien's recommendation, with either side able to pursue further legal appeals thereafter.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Maine conservatives’ anti-trans ballot measure push unraveling after signature controversy
A ballot measure that would restrict access to bathrooms and sports teams for trans youth in Maine may be thrown out due to errors in the signature collection process.A staffer at the Maine secretary of state’s office said more than 12,000 signatures supporting the measure’s inclusion should be invalidated, because signature gatherers did not adhere to collection procedures, according to state news outlet the Maine Morning Star. If those signatu…
Review of signatures finds anti-trans ballot initiative to be invalid
A ballot initiative targeting the rights of transgender students in Maine should be ruled invalid according to a recommended decision issued on Thursday by the Secretary of State’s office. Thousands of signatures under review were found to be unlawfully collected after evidence was presented at a recent hearing of signature gatherers leaving petitions unattended at polling places, failing to properly register as out-of-state collectors and submi…
Official recommends Maine transgender sports referendum be invalidated
A presiding officer has ruled that the proponents of the referendum, “An Act to Designate School Sports Participation and Facilities by Sex” has too many invalid signatures. It will be up to Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to make a final decision on whether or not it will appear on the November ballot.
Referendum on transgender athletes could be kept off ballot because of invalid signatures
The chief deputy secretary of state found issues with more than 12,000 signatures filed by the campaign behind the ballot initiative that seeks to ban transgender athletes from girls sports. But the group plans to challenge that finding.
Deputy Secretary of State will recommend invalidating anti-trans ballot referendum
Chief Deputy Secretary of State Katherine McBrien and Assistant Attorney General Jon Bolton presided over a May 12, 2026 hearing on the validity of petition signatures collected by the Protect Girls Sports campaign. (Photo by Eesha Pendharkar/ Maine Morning Star)Mainers may no longer be voting this November on a ballot question to restrict the rights of transgender students to access bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams aligning with their g…
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