Mainers won’t vote on anti-trans measure after it fails to qualify for November ballot

Maine’s Secretary of State announced that a trans sports ban will not appear on the ballot this year after questions about signature gathering resulted in thousands of petitions being tossed out.

“Citizen initiatives are direct democracy. Just as we take voting security seriously, we take petition integrity seriously,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.

“Unfortunately, some out-of-state circulators failed to meet certain legal requirements for petitions, resulting in this initiative failing to qualify for the ballot after legal review. I am proud of the hard work and dedication of the Secretary of State staff who work so hard to safeguard our elections for the benefit of every Maine voter.”

Bellows’s staff raised alarms weeks ago about signatures that should be invalidated because gatherers didn’t follow the correct procedure. Ultimately, Bellows determined that 12,542 signatures were invalid. She accepted 67,150 signatures, but that left the effort 140 signatures shy of the required amount to put a ballot measure before voters.

Related: Signature dispute could derail Maine’s anti-trans ballot initiative

Some signatures were rejected because circulators failed to witness registered voters signing petition forms, while others were signed by another person, according to the state.

The decision can still be appealed within ten days. Conservative activists in the state had proposed a ballot measure that would bar transgender students from using locker rooms or school bathrooms aligned with their gender identity and would segregate sports based on gender assigned at birth.

Protect Girls Sports in Maine, the group behind the measure, said it has already filed objections to the Secretary of State’s decision, according to ABC affiliate WMTW.

“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 group said in a statement.

Related: Maine conservatives’ anti-trans ballot measure push unraveling after signature controversy

Related: Trump vs. Maine: State refuses anti-trans sports policies as federal agencies push to cut funding

“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.”

Gia Drew, executive director of Equality Maine, called the measure anti-LGBTQ and “anti-kid,” and attended a hearing earlier this month, urging the referendum to be disqualified

“In the meantime, we’re building a robust campaign with our coalition partners and volunteers all across the state just in case this gets on the ballot in November,” Drew said. “We need to be prepared to pledge to vote no.”