Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "In Ohio you can vote with a utility bill or bank statement instead of a photo ID." False
  The facts: Since 2023, voting in person in Ohio takes an unexpired photo ID: an Ohio driver's license or state ID card (or a BMV interim ID form), a U.S. passport or passport card, or a U.S. military, Ohio National Guard or VA ID. Without one, you can vote a provisional ballot and show an ID at your county board of elections within four days after Election Day. Voters with a religious objection to being photographed can fill out a form instead. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "Photo ID becomes required to vote only if Issue 3 passes." False
  The facts: Photo ID is already required by Ohio law. Issue 3 would put the rule into the Ohio Constitution, so it would take another statewide vote to remove it. How you vote this year does not depend on Issue 3. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "You can still register to vote for Nov. 3, even on Election Day." False
  The facts: Ohio's registration deadline for this election was Oct. 5, 2026 (30 days before). Ohio has no same-day registration. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "A mail ballot counts as long as it's postmarked by the day before Election Day." False
  The facts: That was the old rule: ballots used to count if they were postmarked by the day before Election Day and arrived within four days after. Under Senate Bill 293 (in effect since March 19, 2026), absentee ballots must reach your county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day (military and overseas voters have more time). Applications are due Oct. 27; mail early or use your county's drop box. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio Secretary of State) source: senate.state.oh.us
• Heard this? "If you were ever convicted of a felony, you can never vote again in Ohio." False
  The facts: You can't vote only while you are in prison for a felony. Once released, including on probation, parole or community control, you can register and vote. A misdemeanor never takes away your vote. source: ohiosos.gov (Ohio 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.