Voters in Colorado and Washington will decide on Nov. 3 whether to bar transgender girls from some girls' school sports. Both states are reliably Democratic, and elected officials there rejected bans. Activists went around lawmakers and put the measures on the ballot 1.
Supporters say the measures protect women and girls and keep separate spaces for them. Though the issue has been debated in many legislatures, this is the first time it is going to voters 1. Colorado's measure also covers college sports 1.
What the polls say
A June Quinnipiac University poll found about 7 in 10 registered voters think transgender women and girls should not be allowed on female sports teams. About one-quarter think they should. Democrats are split, roughly half and half 1.
Public polling on the state measures is thin. A Colorado political scientist, Robert Preuhs of Metropolitan State University of Denver, said the lack of polls makes the outcome hard to predict 1. In Washington, the group behind the measure, Let's Go Washington, says its own poll of 7,500 people found 56% support. That data had not been released publicly 2.
Twenty-seven states already have such laws, including all where Republicans control both the legislature and the governor's office. The Supreme Court has upheld state sports bans 1.
What is happening in 2026 is a testing ground for the future,
Who is for and against
Washington's measure is backed by Let's Go Washington, which is funded by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood. The group is also behind measures on parental access to school counseling records and repealing a new tax on incomes over $1 million 1. A Western Washington University political scientist, Todd Donovan, said the group hopes ban supporters will also vote to overturn the tax 1.
Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson urged voters to reject the Washington initiative. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Pramila Jayapal also oppose it 2. In Colorado, One Colorado leads the opposition 1.
but I don’t understand how you can protect kids and discriminate against kids at the same time.
Neither state has an official count of transgender girls in school sports. Let's Go Washington says it has counted 16 and that there could be more. The state's school sports association counts about 101,000 girls in the sports it oversees, a figure that double-counts girls who play more than one sport 1. KUOW reported the association says fewer than 10 transgender athletes take part 2.
Arizona and Nebraska also have related measures on the ballot. Arizona's would extend an existing ban to private schools. Nebraska's would write an existing state law into the state constitution 1.
Why it matters
Conservative groups are using ballot measures to take a divisive issue to voters in blue states. One Democratic voter in Ridgefield, Washington, Tracy Flint, said she is still wrestling with how to vote 1. Supporters hope a win would open the door to similar efforts where lawmakers have blocked bans 1.
Democratic strategists quoted by KUOW said the right is investing in the issue while the left is focused elsewhere. One described the Washington measure as an effort to energize Republican voters 2. Election Day is Nov. 3.
The Record
- A Quinnipiac University poll finds about 7 in 10 registered voters oppose transgender girls on female sports teams; Democrats are split 1.
- KUOW reports Let's Go Washington's own poll shows 56% support for Washington's ban, with the data unreleased 2.
- Colorado and Washington voters decide the measures on Election Day 1.
Sources
- ABC News, “Voters in 2 Democratic strongholds could ban transgender girls from girls school sports” (2026-10-24). abcnews.com/US/wireStory/voters-2-democratic-strongholds-ban
- KUOW, “Polling shows ban on trans girls in girls' sports could pass in November” (2026-10-05). kuow.org/elections/2026-10-05/polling-shows-ban-on-trans-gir
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