Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "You need a reason, like being sick or out of town, to vote by absentee ballot in Connecticut." False
  The facts: Starting in 2026, any Connecticut voter can vote by absentee ballot with no reason needed. The ballot must reach your Town Clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. source: portal.ct.gov
• Heard this? "If you miss the October 16 registration deadline, you cannot vote in this election." False
  The facts: Eligible residents can register and vote the same day at their town's Same-Day Registration location, during early voting (Oct 19 to Nov 1) or on Election Day. source: portal.ct.gov
• Heard this? "You cannot vote in Connecticut without a photo ID." False
  The facts: Poll workers ask for ID, such as a photo ID or a bill or bank statement with your name and address. If you do not have one, you can sign a statement (Form ED-681) and vote. Some first-time voters who registered by mail have separate ID rules. source: portal.ct.gov
• Heard this? "Anyone with a felony conviction can never vote again in Connecticut." False
  The facts: In Connecticut you lose the right to vote only while in prison for a felony. You can get your voting rights back when you are released. People on parole or probation can register (the only exception is a felony that broke election laws, which requires finishing parole or probation first). source: portal.ct.gov
• Heard this? "Connecticut has early voting this year." True
  The facts: Early in-person voting runs 14 days, Oct 19 to Nov 1, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with longer hours (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) on Oct 27 and Oct 29. source: portal.ct.gov
• 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.