Washington Voters Appear to Pass Initiative 638 Separating Boys' and Girls' School Sports, the First Such Law Approved by Voters, Fox's OutKick Reports
Unofficial returns showed 'yes' ahead by 13.6 points with 60 percent counted. Colorado's Proposition 134 led by 4.4 points and was still too close to call. Results are unofficial.
Washington state's Initiative 638, which would require K-12 athletes to compete on teams matching their biological sex, held a substantial lead in unofficial returns Tuesday night, according to OutKick, part of Fox News.
The numbers. With 60 percent of ballots counted, "yes" led "no" by 13.6 points. OutKick says the prediction market Kalshi gave the measure a 91 percent chance of passing at press time. The results are unofficial and the measure is not formally called in the report.
Why it matters. If approved, OutKick says it would be the first time voters approved a statewide law separating boys' and girls' K-12 sports, and the first such law in a blue state. It notes 27 other states, all won by Donald Trump in 2024, enforce a separation, but through their legislatures. Let's Go Washington founder Brian Heywood said the measure could take effect within 30 days and called the result a "bellwether." In his words, voters "very blue still in a lot of ways" are saying "it's a parental issue, it's a fairness in girls sports issue."
The people. Tumwater High student Frances Staudt, who says she has faced daily harassment since refusing to play basketball against a biological boy in March 2025, said at a watch party: "We did it! ... Washington people have had enough." Amy Sousa, who filmed a protest walk-off by about a dozen girls at a Camas High School cross-country meet in October, called the result "right" and said it protects Title IX. The campaign gathered a reported 445,000 signatures against the roughly 309,000 needed.
Other states. In Colorado, Proposition 134 led by 4.4 points with about 75 percent counted, and OutKick says the outcome remained uncertain. It would set sex-based eligibility rules for K-12 and college sports. Campaign chair Jennifer Sey said she was "cautiously optimistic." Arizona's Proposition 318 led by 14.6 points, and OutKick says Nebraska's Initiative 442 had more than twice as many votes in favor as against.
Related. Our earlier reports covered the four sports ballot measures and the Camas High cross-country dispute.
What we could not check. OutKick reports unofficial returns, and late ballots could change the margins. Descriptions of the Camas runner's results and the walk-off come from OutKick. We have not verified them.