Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "In Maine you have to show a photo ID to vote." False
  The facts: You do not need to show ID to get a ballot in Maine. If you are registering for the first time, you show proof of who you are and where you live, and that proof does not have to be a photo ID. In November 2025, voters turned down Question 1, which would have required photo ID. source: maine.gov (Secretary of State) source: mainemorningstar.com
• Heard this? "It's too late to register for Nov. 3." False
  The facts: The deadline to register by mail or online was Oct. 13. But in Maine you can register in person at your town or city office, including on Election Day, and then vote. Bring ID and proof of where you live. source: maine.gov (Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "A mailed absentee ballot counts as long as it's postmarked by Election Day." False
  The facts: Your absentee ballot must reach your town or city clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can mail it, hand it in, or use your town's drop box if it has one. Ask for a ballot by the end of the business day Thursday, Oct. 29. source: maine.gov (Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "People with a felony conviction can't vote in Maine." False
  The facts: In Maine, people with a criminal conviction keep the right to vote, even while in prison or jail. A person who is locked up registers in the Maine town where they lived before. source: maine.gov (Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "Ranked-choice voting is used for every race on Maine's ballot." False
  The facts: In the November election, Maine uses ranked-choice voting only for federal offices: U.S. Senate and U.S. House. The governor, state Senate and state House races are decided by who gets the most votes. source: maine.gov (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.