AUGUSTA, Maine – A contentious public hearing began Tuesday over a challenge to the Maine Girl Dads ballot initiative, a citizen-led referendum effort that could appear before Maine voters in November 2026.
The initiative, officially titled “An Act to Designate School Sports Participation and Facilities by Sex,” would require public schools to separate school sports participation, bathrooms, and locker rooms based on biological sex.
The hearing, conducted by the Maine Secretary of State’s Office, began on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, after a Cumberland County Superior Court order directed the office to review a challenge to the validity of signatures gathered for the initiative. The case is called Gilbert vs. Bellows. Docket No. AP-2020-10
Although Secretary of State Shenna Bellows initially found the petition valid in March, opponents later filed a lawsuit alleging that some signatures were collected improperly or were duplicates.
Tuesday’s hearing, at times contentious, included testimony from witnesses connected to Planned Parenthood and the Maine People’s Alliance, two organizations with strong ties to Bellows. That testimony raised concerns among supporters of the initiative over whether Bellows should be the official responsible for deciding the outcome of the challenge.
Bellows, a Democratic candidate for governor, is required to issue a new “Determination of Validity” by May 26, 2026. That decision will determine whether the initiative advances toward the November 2026 ballot, where Maine voters would decide the issue directly.
The situation has raised questions about whether Bellows faces a conflict of interest, given that she could potentially appear on the same ballot as the initiative or politically benefit from the measure not appearing before voters.
The proposed referendum, led by Maine Girl Dads, would require public schools to restrict sports team participation based on the sex designated on a child’s original birth certificate. It would also restrict access to bathrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex and allow students to sue schools if those restrictions are not followed.
During Tuesday’s hearing, circulators who gathered signatures were questioned about technical errors in their documentation. The challenge focuses on whether enough valid signatures remain for the initiative to qualify for the ballot.
The hearing is scheduled to resume on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, with additional witness testimony.
From there, the next steps move quickly.
Both sides are required to submit written closing statements by the end of the day on Friday, May 15, 2026. Those filings will give each side one final opportunity to argue whether the challenged signatures should be accepted or rejected.
After that, the matter moves back to Bellows’ office.
By May 26, 2026, Bellows must issue a new determination on the validity of the petition. If her office upholds enough signatures, the initiative will move forward and appear before voters in November. If the challenge succeeds and enough signatures are rejected, the measure could be blocked from the ballot.
For supporters of the initiative, the hearing represents a critical test of whether voters will be allowed to decide the issue for themselves. For opponents, the process centers on whether the petition drive met the legal requirements needed to place a citizen referendum before the public.
The timeline now leaves little room for delay.
May 12, 2026: The Secretary of State’s Office began the adjudicatory hearing following the court order.
May 13, 2026: The hearing is scheduled to resume with more witness testimony.
May 15, 2026: Written closing statements from both sides are due by the end of the day.
May 26, 2026: Secretary of State Shenna Bellows must issue a new Determination of Validity.
November 2026: If the signatures are upheld, Maine voters will decide the initiative at the ballot box.
While Bellows’ office may argue that the Secretary of State is simply carrying out duties assigned under Maine law, the optics are difficult to ignore. Bellows is a Democratic candidate for governor whose campaign has already been endorsed by Maine People’s Alliance and whose political career has long aligned with Planned Parenthood-backed causes. Now, as those same political networks surface around a challenge to the Maine Girl Dads initiative, Bellows remains positioned as the official who will decide whether the measure survives.
For critics, the question is no longer just whether the signatures are valid. It is whether Maine voters can have confidence in a process where the referee is also a candidate with potential political benefit riding on the outcome.
Democrats are evil, from human sacrifices ( planned parenthood) to grooming in schools, they are Satanic
They don’t slither any closer to the ground than Sheena Bellows .
Another dangerous joke gifted to the people of Maine from Janet Mills .
Wait till she and her minions start counting and playing with your votes in November .