Multiple states, including traditionally Democratic strongholds, voted in favor of measures banning transgender athletes from competing in women's and girls' sports during the recent midterm elections. As of Wednesday morning, voters in Arizona and Nebraska had passed their respective initiatives, with Colorado and Washington appearing to trend towards approval.
Arizona's Proposition 318 passed with 58.9 percent of the vote, according to Associated Press polls. This measure expands upon the state's existing ban on transgender athletes in school-level girls' sports to include private schools and athletic associations, covering youth and college levels. It also mandates that schools and associations restrict access to facilities like locker rooms and restrooms, prohibiting athletes from using spaces not designated for their sex assigned at birth.
Nebraska's Initiative 442, which garnered 68 percent of the vote, amends the state constitution to require sports teams to be designated as male, female, or coeducational. Female teams will be reserved for biological females. This initiative applies to public schools and colleges, as well as private institutions that compete against public schools. Nebraska had previously enacted a law restricting biological males from competing in women's sports, but this initiative embeds the policy into the state constitution, making it more difficult to overturn.
Votes are still being tallied in Colorado and Washington. Colorado's Proposition 134, the Protect Women and Girls Sports Act, requires student athletes to participate on teams matching their sex assigned at birth and directs schools, colleges, and athletic associations to designate teams as male, female, or coeducational. Jennifer Sey, chair of Colorado's Proposition 134, expressed optimism, stating, "For years, that question was answered for everyday people by backroom cowards who never asked actual voters what they want for their daughters." She added, "This was never a partisan issue. It’s a common-sense issue. Basic truth and biological reality don’t have a party."
In Washington, Measure 638, if passed, would prohibit students assigned male at birth from competing with or against female student athletes in sports designated for females. It would also require a statement from a healthcare provider verifying the student's sex. This measure would also mandate students provide a statement from a health care provider verifying their sex.
Arizona and Nebraska now become the first states to enact such policies through direct voter approval. Previously, 27 states had passed similar policies separating biological males from women's sports, but these were enacted through state legislatures. Former President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 aimed at preventing transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports. However, Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Washington's Superintendent Chris Reykdal have previously expressed opposition to such federal directives.