Your ballot, explained.
All four statewide constitutional amendments (Amendments I, J, K and L) in plain words, the candidates on the Secretary of State's official candidate list. Candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the seven other statewide offices, all 35 State Senate districts and all State House districts are from the Secretary of State's official candidate list (all 745 rows, saved October 15, 2026). Candidates marked withdrawn on the list are left out. County, city and other local races on that list are not in this guide. Official amendment wording is not shown yet: it has not been checked word for word. Your sample ballot is the final word. The registration deadline, absentee ballot dates and poll hours are not shown because we have not checked them against the official calendar. Whether a judge retention question is on the ballot has not been checked. County and local races are on your sample ballot. No endorsements. Every claim links to its source.
Find your districts on the map →
Heard this? Here are the facts
Each claim gets a plain status: True, False, or Promised, not law.
- 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.
Key dates
- Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (date from the Secretary of State's candidate list).
- INCOMPLETE: the voter registration deadline, absentee ballot dates and poll hours are not shown here. We have not checked them against the Secretary of State's election calendar (sdsos.gov, Elections and Voting) or the county auditor. Check them there before you act.
Check the dates in the Secretary of State's 2026 election calendar . Check your registration and sample ballot on the SD Voter Information Portal (your sample ballot) .
Voter guides for other states
50 states have a guide so far. Lit states are ready: click or tap one to open its guide. More are coming.
Guide ready Coming soon This guide