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 photo ID to vote in person in Indiana." True
  The facts: The ID must have your photo, a name that conforms to your registration, and an expiration date that is current or after Nov 5, 2024. It must be issued by Indiana, the U.S. government, or a federally recognized tribe (driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID). Exemptions: indigent voters, religious objection to being photographed, and residents of some state-licensed care facilities. Free state ID cards are available at the BMV. source: in.gov
• Heard this? "A college student ID works as voter ID in Indiana." False
  The facts: The 2026 state guide says university IDs are not accepted. source: in.gov
• Heard this? "You can register to vote at the polls on Election Day in Indiana." False
  The facts: The registration deadline for Nov 3, 2026 was Oct 5. Indiana's guide lists no Election Day registration. A voter not on the poll list may cast a provisional ballot. source: in.gov
• Heard this? "Any voter can vote by mail in Indiana." False
  The facts: Voting by mail requires one of the reasons on the state list (for example: 65 or older, disability, out of the county all 12 hours, working all polling hours, no transportation, illness or caregiving). The application must include an ID number or copy and must arrive by Oct 22. Any voter can vote early in person starting Oct 6. source: in.gov
• Heard this? "A felony conviction means you can never vote again in Indiana." False
  The facts: The state guide lists being "not currently in prison after being convicted of a crime" as the condition. People who are not in prison can register if they meet the other rules. source: in.gov
• Heard this? "A mail ballot postmarked on Election Day still counts in Indiana." False
  The facts: Mailed absentee ballots must be received by 6 p.m. on Election Day. source: in.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.