Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "In Kentucky you can't vote without a photo ID." False
  The facts: You'll be asked for photo ID, but you can still vote without one. If you can't get a photo ID, you can sign a form saying why and show a non-photo ID, such as a Social Security card or a SNAP or EBT card with your name. Kentucky offers a free state ID to residents 18 and older who don't have a driver's license. source: sos.ky.gov
• Heard this? "You can still register to vote at the polls on Election Day." False
  The facts: Kentucky does not have same-day registration. The deadline to register for the November 3 election was Monday, October 5, 2026. source: elect.ky.gov (State Board of Elections)
• Heard this? "A mailed absentee ballot counts as long as it's postmarked by Election Day." False
  The facts: Your mail-in ballot must reach your county clerk before 6 p.m. on Election Day, November 3. The online request portal closes at 11:59 p.m. October 20. source: elect.ky.gov (State Board of Elections)
• Heard this? "No-excuse early voting runs for weeks before Election Day." False
  The facts: In Kentucky, anyone can vote early in person only on Thursday, October 29 through Saturday, October 31. On October 21-28 you can vote early only with an approved reason. source: elect.ky.gov (State Board of Elections)
• 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.