Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "In Michigan you can't vote without a photo ID." False
  The facts: You'll be asked for photo ID, but if you don't have one you can sign a short form (an affidavit) saying so and vote a regular ballot. It is counted with all the other ballots. source: michigan.gov (Department of State)
• Heard this? "It's too late to register for Nov. 3." False
  The facts: Online and mail registration ends 15 days before the election (Monday, Oct. 19). After that, you can register in person at your city or township clerk's office with proof of where you live, up through Election Day. source: michigan.gov (Department of State)
• Heard this? "You need a special reason to vote absentee in Michigan." False
  The facts: All registered voters in Michigan have the right to vote by mail with an absentee ballot. Your ballot must reach your clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day to count. source: michigan.gov (Department of State)
• Heard this? "If you were ever convicted of a felony, you can't vote in Michigan." False
  The facts: People with a felony or misdemeanor conviction can register and vote, as long as they are not serving a sentence in jail or prison right now. source: michigan.gov (Department of State)
• Heard this? "If Proposal 1 passes, Michigan gets a new constitution." False
  The facts: A Yes vote only starts a convention. Voters would elect delegates, and any new constitution they write would need voters' approval at a later election. If voters reject it, the current constitution stays. source: michigan.gov (Department 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.