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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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Four states appear set to approve ballot measures restricting transgender athletes' participation in school sports following last week's midterm elections.
Measures appeared on ballots in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington, though the specifics of what voters considered differed between states. Among other things, some measures require schools to designate sports teams as male, female or co-ed, while others bar students from using facilities that do not match their assigned sex.
With more than 95 percent of votes counted in each state, all the measures appear set to pass.
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What the Ballot Measures Say
Arizona's Proposition 318 requires all schools and athletic associations to designate athletic teams as male, female or co-ed based on the sex of the athletes as recorded at birth.
It also bars students, athletes and employees from joining sports teams or using school or athletic association facilities—including bathrooms—that are not designated for their sex assigned at birth.
In Colorado, Proposition 134 means that student athletes can participate only on teams that match their sex assigned at birth. It also requires schools, colleges and athletic associations to designate sports teams as male, female or coeducational.
Washington's Measure 638 bars students who were assigned male at birth from competing with or against female student athletes in sports for female students only.
This measure also requires students who choose to participate in these activities to provide a statement from their health care provider to confirm their sex.
Nebraska's Initiative 442 amends the state constitution to require schools to designate sports teams as male, female or coeducational. It also bars male participation on female teams.
In Arizona, 58.7 percent of voters have supported the measure, compared with 41.3 percent against.
Meanwhile in Colorado, the measure is passing with 52.2 percent to 47.8 percent. In Nebraska, 67.9 percent of voters have said yes to Initiative 442, while 32.2 percent said no.
In Washington, Measure 638 looks set to pass with 56 percent to 44 percent.
Millions Spent on Trans Student Restrictions
The ballot fights were backed by millions of dollars in campaign spending and advertising from groups across the four states.
In Nebraska, the group Fairness for Girls, which backs the idea of sex-separate athletics, spent more than $3.2 million in support of the proposal, according to Advocate. Almost all of that money, $3.1 million, came from Restore the Good Life Inc., whose underlying donors were not publicly identified.
"No girl in Nebraska should ever be forced to compete against or share a locker room with a boy. This is a victory for fairness, truth, and common sense," the Nebraska Family Alliance, who backed Initiative 442, told Newsweek.
"There are real differences between males and females, and those differences matter—especially in sports. Initiative 442 doesn't prevent anyone from playing. It simply ensures the category that makes girls' sports possible can continue to exist. Voters spoke overwhelmingly in support of protecting girls' sports, and we are proud that Nebraska has taken this important step to protect girls and women for generations to come," it continued.
In Washington, the group Let's Go Washington, sponsored by multimillionaire Brian Heywood, spent $4.2 million on campaign efforts to prohibit students defined as "biologically male" from competing with or against female students in certain school sports.
Following the election, Heywood called the apparent result "a victory" for female athletes who had spoken out in support of restricting girls' sports based on sex.
"To every female athlete who wondered whether her voice mattered: tonight, Washington heard you," he said.
The No Hate WA State campaign, which opposed the measure, said it was disappointed by the result and suggested the fight could now move to the courts.
"Many have said that I-638 is likely unconstitutional and we understand there are legal groups and organizations considering litigation," campaign manager Libby Watson said in a statement.
Watson also argued that the measure could affect girls beyond transgender athletes because of its sex-verification requirement, saying, "This measure has the potential to harm any girl who wishes to play sports through its invasive exam requirements."
In the Centennial State, the group Protect Kids Colorado backed the proposition that would require student athletes to participate only on teams that match their biological sex. They spent a reported $163,000 on campaigning this year, and more than $215,000 in 2024-2025.
Protect Kids Colorado has declared victory as the measure maintains its lead with more than 80 percent of votes counted.
"This victory belongs to the people of Colorado," Executive Director Erin Lee said, thanking the volunteers and supporters who helped put the group's three measures on the ballot.
Jen Sey, the founder of XX-XY Athletics and Proposition 134 issue chair, said Colorado was "the first blue state" to adopt such restrictions and the first state to do so through a direct popular vote. "Girls deserve fair competition, equal opportunity and categories that recognize biological sex," Sey said.
In the Grand Canyon State, the proposition to put restrictions on locker room access and competitive sports for trans athletes has been backed by Protect Girls' Sports in Arizona, which reported spending $3,429.30 on expenses this year. Conservative group the Arizona Free Enterprise Club also spent over $3,000 on flyers to back the measure.
Newsweek has contacted Protect Girls' Sports for comment via email.
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Trans Athlete Participation Nationwide
While there is no definitive count of transgender student athletes across the states with ballot measures, trans athletes across the country have already been affected by similar measures.
At least 27 states, including Arizona and Nebraska, have put some legal restriction on trans athletes' access to school sports, according to the LGBTQ think tank the Movement Advancement Project.
The same group estimates that 50 percent of transgender youth, aged 13-17, live in states with laws that prevent trans students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity.
Will New Rules Require ‘Genital Inspections’?
Critics have flagged one particular element of Washington's Measure 638: Students seeking to participate in female-only sports would be required to provide a signed statement from a health care provider verifying their biological sex.
Opponents have warned that the requirement could result in "genital inspections," although the measure does not explicitly require such examinations.
Verification from health care professionals can be based on one or more criteria, including reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup or naturally produced testosterone levels.
The initiative's wording has not settled how providers will perform the verification in practice, or whether some students may face a new physical examination.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Shakeema Edwards.
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