AUGUSTA, Maine — The Protect Girls Sports in Maine ballot question committee says more than 3,300 public comments submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office helped force revisions to the proposed wording of its 2026 citizen initiative.
The committee called the total “historic,” saying it represents the highest number of public comments ever recorded for a Maine citizen initiative by a wide margin.
The announcement comes after Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ office revised the proposed ballot question following public criticism that the original language strayed from the intent of the proposed legislation. The committee said the new wording now better reflects the initiative’s focus on sex-designated school sports and private spaces.
“The citizens of Maine submitted 3,300 public comments to the Secretary of State which, by a massive and historic margin, is the highest number of comments ever publicly recorded for any citizen’s initiative in Maine, ever,” said Leyland Streiff, principal officer of the committee.
The committee said three major changes were made: replacing “gender” with “sex,” clarifying that the proposal applies to “every child,” and stating that all private spaces would be protected under the proposed act.
The broader fight over the initiative has intensified in recent days. Bellows recently ruled that the measure failed to qualify for the November ballot after her office invalidated more than 12,000 signatures, leaving the campaign short of the required 67,682 signatures. The committee has disputed that decision and says it is considering an appeal within the 10-day window.
“This referendum does not propose a new concept nor a new right,” Streiff said. “This is a reclamation of the sex-based civil rights of our state’s most vulnerable population… our children.”
The committee also continues to object to the Secretary of State’s inclusion of language saying the proposal would “change civil rights and education laws,” arguing that the courts, not Bellows, should have the final say on whether the measure appears before voters.
“The Protect Girls Sports in Maine Committee disagrees with the Secretary of State’s decision declaring the Protect Girls Sports initiative ineligible for the November ballot,” the committee said. “The Committee is working to ensure full judicial review of the Secretary’s decision with the understanding that the courts, not the Secretary, should have the final word on this important matter.”
