Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "A college student ID works as voter ID in Tennessee, but an expired driver's license doesn't." False
  The facts: It's the other way around. An expired Tennessee driver's license, U.S. passport, military ID, handgun carry permit or other Tennessee or federal photo ID is accepted. College student IDs, city or county IDs (like library cards) and IDs from other states are not. People voting by mail don't need to show an ID. source: sos.tn.gov (Secretary of State, Division of Elections)
• Heard this? "You can register to vote at the polls on Election Day in Tennessee." False
  The facts: The deadline to register for the Nov. 3 election was Monday, Oct. 5. Tennessee does not have same-day registration. source: sos.tn.gov (Secretary of State, Division of Elections)
• Heard this? "Anyone in Tennessee can vote by mail, and you can drop your ballot off by hand." False
  The facts: You need a reason on the state's list, such as being 60 or older, being out of your county for all of early voting and Election Day, illness or disability, or being a full-time college student away from home. Requests are due Oct. 24. The ballot must be mailed back (not hand-delivered) and must arrive before polls close on Nov. 3. source: sos.tn.gov (Secretary of State, Division of Elections)
• Heard this? "In Tennessee, your right to vote comes back automatically when you finish a felony sentence." False
  The facts: For most convictions after May 17, 1981, you need a court order restoring your voting rights before you can register. To get one, you must have finished your sentence, owe no restitution or court costs (unless the court finds you can't pay), and be current on child support. Some crimes, such as murder, rape, treason and voter fraud, permanently bar voting. source: sos.tn.gov (Secretary of State, Division of Elections)
• Heard this? "If you skip an amendment question, it doesn't affect whether it passes." False
  The facts: A Tennessee amendment must get more YES than NO votes, and its YES votes must be more than half of all votes cast for governor. Voting for governor but skipping an amendment makes it harder for that amendment to pass. source: sos.tn.gov (Secretary of State, Division of Elections)
• 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.