Maine's transgender sports initiative halted by invalid signatures

A Maine referendum intended to limit transgender students’ participation in sports was removed from the November ballot after the secretary of state found invalid petition signatures. The proposal from Protect Girls Sports in Maine would have required public schools to restrict access to bathrooms and sports based on the gender listed on a child’s birth certificate. The secretary of state reported that more than 12,000 signatures were invalid, leaving the petition drive a few hundred short of the 67,682 signatures required. The decision is a setback for efforts nationwide to limit or ban transgender students in sports. Petitioners have 10 days to appeal, and the group can seek placement on a future ballot.

"A Maine initiative intended to limit transgender students' ability to participate in sports has been removed from the ballot because of invalid signatures, the secretary of state ruled Tuesday. The proposal from parents' group Protect Girls Sports in Maine was slated to go before voters in November. It would have asked voters if they wanted to require public schools to restrict access to bathrooms and sports based on the gender denoted on a child's birth certificate."

"Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who is running for governor as a Democrat, said Tuesday her staff found that more than 12,000 signatures on the petition for the referendum were invalid. That leaves the petition drive a few hundred short of the 67,682 required for the initiative to make the ballot, Bellows said."

""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 a initiative on the ballot follow the law," Bellows said."

"The petitioners have 10 days to appeal Bellows' decision. Representatives for Protect Girls Sports in Maine did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday, but indicated last week that they would keep pushing for the initiative to appear on the ballot. The group will also have the ability to try to get the initiative on a future ballot, Bellows said."

Read at Boston.com