First Time at the Ballot Box: Colorado and Washington Voters to Decide Transgender Girls' School Sports Bans

Voters in reliably Democratic Colorado and Washington will decide on November 3 whether to bar transgender girls from girls' school sports — the first time the question has been put directly to voters anywhere in the United States, the Associated Press reported. Lawmakers in both states repeatedly rejected such bans, so supporters collected signatures and took the issue to the ballot. Similar measures are also before voters in Arizona and Nebraska, and 27 states already have such laws.

Awaaz Punjab Investigations Desk24 October 20264 min readRead in all 3 languages

KALAMA, Washington — Voters in Colorado and Washington will decide this November whether to ban transgender girls from competing in girls' school sports, the first time the question has been put directly to voters anywhere in the country, the Associated Press reported. Both states are reliably Democratic, and their elected officials have repeatedly rejected such bans, prompting activists to bypass lawmakers and take the issue to the ballot.

Source: Associated Press

In Washington the proposal is Initiative 638, and in Colorado it is Measure 134, according to a GLAAD fact sheet for reporters on the 2026 midterm ballot measures. Measures are also on the ballot in Arizona and Nebraska to strengthen bans in those states: Arizona's Proposition 318 would extend its existing rules to restrooms, locker rooms and private and club sports, while Nebraska voters are being asked to write an existing ban into the state constitution, Reason reported.

Source: Reason

Twenty-seven states already have laws barring transgender girls from girls' sports, including every state where Republicans control both the legislature and the governor's office, according to the Associated Press. President Donald Trump has taken steps to roll back transgender rights, and the Supreme Court has upheld state sports bans, the AP reported.

Source: Associated Press

Supporters of the measures argue they are needed to keep girls' competitions fair and safe, saying they protect roster spots, scholarships and recognition for female athletes. “What is happening in 2026 is a testing ground for the future,” said Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which supports LGBTQ+ rights — a sign that both sides see the two blue-state votes as a national test of whether the issue can win at the ballot box.

Source: Associated Press

Opponents say the proposals are discriminatory and could add barriers for any girls who want to join teams. Washington House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, the state's first out lesbian speaker, has warned that Washington's measure would require invasive medical examinations for girls wanting to play school sports. A June poll from Quinnipiac University found about 7 in 10 registered voters think transgender women and girls should not be allowed to play on female sports teams, while about one-quarter think they should; Democrats were split, with roughly half on each side, the AP reported.

Source: Associated Press

Voting in both states concludes on November 3, the day of the US midterm elections. Because Colorado and Washington would be the first states where voters themselves — rather than legislatures or courts — decide the question, campaigns and advocacy groups across the country are watching the results as a guide to whether similar ballot drives could follow in other Democratic-controlled states.

Sources