Maine transgender sports measure removed after signature

A Maine initiative that would have restricted transgender students' access to school sports teams and facilities based on their sex assigned at birth will not appear on the November ballot after state officials invalidated thousands of petition signatures. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ruled Tuesday that the measure, proposed by the group Protect Girls Sports in Maine, fell short of the required signature threshold following a review that uncovered significant irregularities in the collection process.

The campaign initially submitted over 79,000 signatures, surpassing the 67,682 needed to qualify. However, after a court-ordered review and an evidentiary hearing, officials invalidated 12,542 signatures, leaving the petition 532 signatures short. Bellows adopted the recommendation of Chief Deputy Secretary of State Katherine McBrien, who presided over the hearing.

The review found multiple violations of state law governing petition circulation. According to testimony and evidence presented, some signature gatherers left petition forms unattended at polling places, allowing voters to sign without a witness present as required. In one case, a circulator submitted forms...