Maine's transgender sports initiative halted by invalid signatures
Maine's initiative to limit transgender students' participation in sports has been removed from the ballot due to invalid signatures. The secretary of state found over 12,000 signatures on the petition to be invalid, leaving it short of the required number. The group behind the initiative plans to appeal the decision and may attempt to place it on a future ballot.
- ▪Maine's secretary of state ruled that an initiative to limit transgender students' sports participation was ineligible for the ballot due to invalid signatures.
- ▪The petition drive fell short by a few hundred signatures of the required 67,682.
- ▪The group Protect Girls Sports in Maine plans to appeal the decision and seek judicial review.
2 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 10 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: lean left. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
- ▪ Maine's transgender sports initiative halted by invalid signatures — ABC News — US
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| Canonical URL | https://abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/maines-transgender-sports-initiative-halted-invalid-signatures-133319814 |
| Publication time | Wed, 27 May 2026 02:35:12 -0400 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-27T06:42:56.814Z |
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ABC NewsLiveVideoShowsGood Morning AmericaShopGMAInterest Successfully AddedWe'll notify you here with news aboutTurn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? OffOnStream onMaine's transgender sports initiative halted by invalid signaturesMaine's secretary of state says an initiative intended to limit transgender students’ ability to participate in sports has been removed from the ballot because of invalid signaturesByPATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated PressMay 26, 2026, 1:04 PM1:23FILE - Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows speaks with reporters during the National Associate of Secretaries of State Conference in Washington, Jan. 30, 2026.
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