Maine Voters to Decide Sports Eligibility Measure After Legislature Adjourns

Proposed ballot initiative would restrict school sports based on birth certificate sex

Apr. 16, 2026 at 4:37am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A dynamic, abstract painting with overlapping geometric shapes in shades of blue, green, and orange, conceptually representing the heated debate over a sports eligibility ballot measure.A divisive ballot measure on sports eligibility rules sparks heated debate in Maine ahead of a high-stakes November vote.Portland Today

The Maine State Legislature adjourned on April 14, 2026, without a vote on a proposed ballot measure that would require public school sports teams designated for girls or boys to be limited to students of the corresponding sex on their original birth certificates. Mainers will now vote on the initiative on November 3, 2026.

Why it matters

This measure is part of a broader national debate over transgender student-athlete participation in school sports. Supporters argue it's necessary to protect fairness and safety for female athletes, while opponents say it's discriminatory and could lead to lawsuits and high costs for schools.

The details

Under the proposed measure, public schools would be required to designate athletic teams as male, female, or coeducational, with students only allowed to participate on teams matching the sex on their birth certificate. However, girls would be permitted to play on male teams if no female team is available for that sport. The initiative would also mandate separate restrooms, locker rooms, and other private spaces by sex.

  • The Maine State Legislature adjourned on April 14, 2026 without a vote on the measure.
  • Mainers will vote on the initiative on November 3, 2026.

The players

Shenna Bellows

Maine Secretary of State, a Democrat, who released the proposed draft ballot question on April 7, 2026.

Protect Girls' Sports in Maine

The campaign sponsoring the initiative, which requested changes to the ballot question.

Ethan Strimling

Former mayor of Portland and former state senator, who commented on the ballot question.

Jennifer Poirier

Republican state representative who voiced support for the initiative during a public hearing.

Holly Lusk

Representative of the Christian Civic League of Maine, who spoke in favor of the initiative during a public hearing.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We need to protect everybody, and unfortunately, it does come down to sex for that, it has to, there are true differences and it's meaningful differences.”

— Jennifer Poirier, State Representative

“To tell a high schooler in a locker room that tense, sick feeling in her gut and not only accommodate but celebrate the presence of a male when she changes her clothes for gym class is gaslighting.”

— Holly Lusk, Christian Civic League of Maine

“A blanket ban that treats kindergarteners the same as it treats high school seniors, and it will lead to lawsuits and big costs because of bad public policy.”

— David Farmer, Manager, Free and Fair Schools campaign

“In the hunt to exclude the few, currently nonexistent, transgender students who play sports, this measure would create a bureaucratic nightmare for families, students and schools.”

— Mary Bonauto, GLAD Law

What’s next

Voters in Maine will decide the fate of the sports eligibility initiative on November 3, 2026.

The takeaway

This measure is the latest battleground in the ongoing national debate over transgender student-athlete participation in school sports, with supporters arguing it's necessary to protect fairness and safety for female athletes, and opponents saying it's discriminatory and could lead to costly legal challenges for schools.