Midterm ballot results indicate that transgender students in the U.S. will face new restrictions in female school athletics following successful votes in several states on Nov 4. Voters in Washington and Colorado approved measures to limit transgender student participation in girls’ athletic categories, bringing the total to four states that passed such restrictions during the election cycle.
The results in Washington and Colorado occur despite the states’ traditionally Democratic leanings. In Washington, Measure 638 held a 56.8% lead as officials counted 62% of the ballots. These measures join similar bans approved by voters in Nebraska and Arizona; the latter also passed Proposition 318 with 58.9% support, which prohibits students from using school bathrooms and locker rooms that do not align with their sex assigned at birth.