Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "In Idaho you can't vote without a photo ID." False
  The facts: You'll be asked for a photo ID: an Idaho driver's license or ID card, a U.S. passport or federal photo ID, a tribal ID, or an Idaho concealed weapons license issued by a county sheriff. A registered voter can sign a Personal Identification Affidavit instead, swearing to who they are under penalty of perjury (a felony under Idaho law), and then gets a ballot. source: voteidaho.gov (Idaho Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "A student ID works as voter ID in Idaho." False
  The facts: A student ID is not on the Secretary of State's list of accepted photo IDs. Use a listed ID, or sign the affidavit if you are registered. source: voteidaho.gov (Idaho Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "It's too late to register for Nov. 3." False
  The facts: Ahead-of-time registration closes at 5 p.m. October 23, but you can also register in person when you vote early or on Election Day. You need a current photo ID and proof of where you live. source: voteidaho.gov (Idaho Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "A mailed absentee ballot counts as long as it's postmarked by Election Day." False
  The facts: Your ballot must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day (by mail, to an official drop box or to your county elections office) for your vote to be counted. The calendar says the county clerk must receive it by 8 p.m. source: voteidaho.gov (Idaho Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "If you were ever convicted of a felony, you can never vote again in Idaho." False
  The facts: People with a felony conviction may not register until the terms of their sentence have been completed. source: voteidaho.gov (Idaho Secretary of State)
• 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.