When BDN shines a light, policymakers act. Make a gift to help our reporters keep Maine’s leaders informed. Make a donation now.
This story will be updated.
A draft decision released by Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ office Thursday found the conservative referendum aiming to bar transgender girls from school sports fell roughly 500 signatures short of the total needed to make the 2026 ballot.
Chief Deputy Secretary of State Katherine McBrien issued the recommended decision following a hearing earlier this month, concluding that more than 12,000 signatures were invalid. The two sides have until Saturday to file objections, and Bellows must make a final ruling by Tuesday.
The ruling hinges significantly on misconduct by petition circulators. Two circulators repeatedly left petition forms unattended at polling places on Election Day, allowing voters to sign without a witness present, violating both Maine law and the circulators’ sworn oaths, according to McBrien. All signatures they collected that day were recommended for invalidation.
Additionally, all 61 signatures gathered by one were invalidated after a review found none matched voters’ signatures on file. One voter’s signature appeared to be a forgery. More than 1,400 signatures were also tossed because four out-of-state circulators failed to legally consent to Maine’s jurisdiction.
