Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "You have to show a photo ID to vote in Illinois." False
  The facts: Most Illinois voters do not need any ID to vote. You may be asked for ID if you register on the spot (bring two IDs, one with your current address), if you registered by mail without giving a driver's license or state ID number, or if your right to vote is challenged. If you need ID and don't have it, you can vote a provisional ballot and show ID within 7 days. source: chicagoelections.gov (Chicago Board of Election Commissioners)
• Heard this? "It's too late to register for Nov. 3." False
  The facts: The regular deadline was Oct. 6 and online registration closes Oct. 18, but Illinois lets you register and vote at the same time in person during early voting and on Election Day. Bring two IDs; one must show your current address. source: chicagoelections.gov (Chicago Board of Election Commissioners)
• Heard this? "A "yes" win on the question about making Chicago and Cook County a separate state will split Illinois." False
  The facts: This is an advisory question that some county boards put on their own county's ballot. It only measures how voters feel; the county's resolution says it changes no boundaries or laws. A new state would need approval from the Illinois General Assembly and the U.S. Congress. source: fordcounty.illinois.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.