Lawsuit claims Maine transgender sports referendum signatures are not valid

March 30, 2026 - 19:45

A new legal challenge seeks to block a proposed referendum on transgender athletes in Maine. The lawsuit, filed in Cumberland County Superior Court, alleges that signature petitions circulated to place the question on the ballot are invalid.

The plaintiffs, Jane Gilbert, Mark Sayre, and Kaitlin Webber, argue that the petitions are misleading. They contend the wording does not adequately inform signers of the full impact of the proposed law, which would require student athletes to compete on teams corresponding with their sex assigned at birth. This, the suit claims, violates the state's requirement for a clear and concise statement of intent on referendum petitions.

The legal filing from Friday requests the court to order state officials to disqualify the petitions, preventing the measure from advancing to the ballot. Supporters of the referendum effort have expressed confidence that their signatures were gathered properly and expect to prevail. The Secretary of State's office is now tasked with reviewing the petitions, a process now complicated by this pending litigation. The outcome will determine if voters will decide on the issue in a future election.