Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "It's too late to register to vote for Nov. 3." True
  The facts: The deadline to register to vote in the general election was Sunday, October 4, 2026. source: vote.sos.ri.gov (Rhode Island Department of State)
• Heard this? "A mailed ballot counts as long as it is postmarked by Election Day." False
  The facts: The calendar sets a deadline to receive mail ballots: 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, at the State Board of Elections in Cranston or an authorized drop box. Military and overseas ballots are due by 4 p.m. on November 10. Voters have until 4 p.m. on November 12 to fix a ballot with a problem. source: vote.sos.ri.gov (Rhode Island Department of State)
• Heard this? "It's too late to ask for a mail ballot." True
  The facts: The deadline to apply for a mail ballot was Tuesday, October 13. Voters who missed it can still apply for an emergency mail ballot from October 14 until 4 p.m. on November 2, and early voting runs October 14 through November 2 (ending at 4 p.m.). source: vote.sos.ri.gov (Rhode Island 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.