A new poll indicates that a majority of likely Washington voters support a November ballot measure that would restrict biologically male students from competing in certain female-designated K-12 sports.
The survey, released by Let’s Go Washington, found that 56% of likely voters said they would support Initiative 638, while 24% opposed it and 22% remained undecided.
The poll surveyed 7,500 likely voters.
Support also crossed party lines in the group’s polling.
Among Republicans, 73% said they supported the measure.
The survey found support from 48% of Democrats and 52% of independents.
Initiative 638 is officially certified for Washington’s Nov. 3 general election ballot. The measure concerns participation in athletics at K-12 schools.
Under the proposal, school districts and nonprofit organizations overseeing interscholastic athletics would be required to prohibit biologically male students from competing with or against female students in sports that maintain separate male and female classifications.
Students seeking to compete in female-designated sports would need documentation from a healthcare provider verifying biological sex.
The initiative says that determination could be based on reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup or normally produced testosterone levels.
Coed activities would remain open to all students.
The campaign behind the measure has argued that the rules are necessary to preserve fairness in girls’ athletics.
Opponents argue such restrictions discriminate against transgender students.
The issue has gained attention in Washington after several cases involving transgender athletes competing in girls’ events.
The source cited a transgender track athlete who previously won a state title in the 400 meters.
It also referenced a high school cross-country runner who competed on a boys’ team earlier in the season before later competing on a girls’ team and recording a varsity victory.
Under current Washington Interscholastic Activities Association policy, students are allowed to participate in athletics according to their gender identity or the gender they most consistently express.
State estimates cited in the source place the number of transgender athletes at between five and 10 out of more than 200,000 student competitors statewide.
The poll results suggest the measure is drawing support beyond Washington’s Republican base.
The 48% support among Democratic respondents is especially notable given Washington’s recent history as a strongly Democratic state.
Still, the survey does not determine how voters will ultimately vote.
More than one in five respondents remained undecided, leaving a sizable share of the electorate still potentially persuadable before Election Day.
The Washington Secretary of State certified Initiative 638 after its supporters submitted enough valid signatures. The Legislature did not enact the measure during the session, so it was sent to voters, per Trending Politics.
If approved, the proposal would place Washington among a growing number of states that restrict participation in female sports based on biological sex.
The source says 27 states currently have laws limiting participation in female K-12 sports categories on that basis.
The initiative does not require any single type of physical examination or test beyond the documentation requirement.
Supporters say verification could rely on information already gathered during routine sports physicals.
The Northwest Progressive Institute, which opposes the initiative, has reportedly conducted polling of its own but had not released those results at the time of the report.
For now, the Let’s Go Washington poll provides one snapshot of voter sentiment less than a month before ballots are counted.
The final decision will come on Nov. 3, when Washington voters determine whether Initiative 638 becomes state law.
