Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

Each claim gets a plain status: True, False, or Promised, not law.

• Heard this? "In California you have to show a photo ID to vote." False
  The facts: California does not ask most voters for ID. You sign the roster at the polls or sign your mail ballot envelope, and officials compare it to your record. Voters who registered without a driver's license, state ID or Social Security number may be asked for ID the first time they vote. Prop. 39 on this ballot would change this if it passes. source: sos.ca.gov (Official Voter Information Guide)
• Heard this? "It's too late to register for Nov. 3." False
  The facts: The regular deadline is Oct. 19. After that you can still register and vote the same day ("conditional voter registration") at your county elections office, a vote center or a polling place, up to and including Election Day. source: sos.ca.gov (Official Voter Information Guide)
• Heard this? "A mail ballot has to arrive by Election Day to count." False
  The facts: In California a mailed ballot counts if it is postmarked by Election Day and arrives by Nov. 10. The guide suggests mailing at least 7 days early, or asking a postal worker for a hand postmark if you mail it late. You can also use a drop box or voting location until 8 p.m. Nov. 3. source: sos.ca.gov (Official Voter Information Guide)
• Heard this? "If you were ever convicted of a felony, you can never vote again in California." False
  The facts: You can vote unless you are currently serving a state or federal prison term for a felony. Once you are out of prison, including on parole, you can register and vote. source: sos.ca.gov (Official Voter Information Guide)
• Heard this? "You have to vote for candidates from the party you registered with." False
  The facts: In California's top-two system you can vote for any candidate in any race, whatever party you chose when you registered. The party next to a name is the candidate's own stated preference, not a party nomination. source: sos.ca.gov (Official Voter Information Guide)
• Heard this? "Every voter gets a ballot in the mail, so you can't vote in person." False
  The facts: Every active registered voter is mailed a ballot, but you can also vote in person at a polling place or vote center, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, or early at locations listed at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov. source: sos.ca.gov (Official Voter Information Guide)
• Heard this? "You'll get $5,000 after the election." Promised, not law
  The facts: On Sept. 9, 2026 the President promised every adult $5,000, a "Trump Dividend", if Republicans keep both the House and the Senate. It is a campaign promise that depends on the election results; no law or payment exists today. Congress would have to pass it, and AP estimates it would cost over $1 trillion. Is this legal? Experts disagree. Richard Painter, chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, wrote: "No, Mr. President you can't offer voters $5000 if the Republicans win the House and Senate." Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner called it a completed crime under the federal vote-buying law (18 U.S.C. 597). Election attorney John Day told AP it is legal because it would go to everyone regardless of how they vote: "This is a campaign promise." Rice University political scientist Mark Jones: "It's unsavory, but it's legal." Your ballot is secret, so no payment can depend on how you personally vote. source: kold.com source: internazionale.it source: newsweek.com source: ibtimes.co.uk source: katv.com
• Heard this? "Someone can legally pay you to vote, or to vote a certain way." False
  The facts: No. Paying or offering to pay anyone to vote or to register to vote in a federal election is a federal crime (52 U.S.C. 10307(c)). Accepting the payment is a crime too. source: law.cornell.edu
• Heard this? "The $1 million-a-day giveaway in 2024 paid people for voting." False
  The facts: That contest was open only to registered voters in seven swing states, and entering meant signing a petition, not voting. The group's lawyer told a Pennsylvania court the winners were "not chosen by chance". The judge let it continue. source: aljazeera.com

Checked against official sources, court records and news reports. We update this as new claims go around.