Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "In Maryland you have to show a photo ID to vote." False
  The facts: Most voters do not show ID; you give your name, address and date of birth and sign under penalty of perjury. Some first-time voters are asked for ID, which can be a photo ID or a recent document with your name and address, like a bill or bank statement. Look yourself up on Voter Services to see if you'll be asked. source: elections.maryland.gov source: elections.maryland.gov
• Heard this? "If you missed the October 13 registration deadline, you can't vote on Nov. 3." False
  The facts: You can register and vote at the same time during early voting (Oct. 22 to Oct. 29) or at your polling place on Election Day. Bring proof of where you live, such as an MVA license or ID, a paycheck, bank statement or utility bill. source: elections.maryland.gov
• Heard this? "Dropping a mail-in ballot in a mailbox on Election Day means it's postmarked in time." False
  The facts: Your ballot must be postmarked by Election Day, and the post office doesn't always postmark mail the day you send it. To be safe, mail it early or put it in a drop box by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. No stamp is needed. source: elections.maryland.gov source: elections.maryland.gov
• Heard this? "Mail-in ballots are only counted when the race is close." False
  The facts: Every mail-in ballot sent in on time with the required signature is counted, even when it won't change the outcome. Counting can take days after Election Day, and Maryland does not "call" results on election night. source: elections.maryland.gov
• Heard this? "If you were ever convicted of a felony, you can never vote again in Maryland." False
  The facts: You can register to vote once you finish any prison sentence for the felony; you only can't register while you're serving it. (A conviction for buying or selling votes is the exception.) source: elections.maryland.gov
• Heard this? "If you asked for a mail-in ballot, you can't vote in person." False
  The facts: You can, but you'll vote a provisional ballot, and it counts as long as you don't also return the mail-in ballot. You can't bring the mailed ballot to a polling place to cast it there. source: elections.maryland.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.