Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "In Texas you can't vote without a photo ID." False
  The facts: You'll be asked for one of seven photo IDs, such as a Texas driver license, a U.S. passport or a free Election Identification Certificate from DPS. If you don't have one and can't reasonably get one, you can still vote a regular ballot: show a supporting document (like a utility bill, bank statement or voter registration certificate) and sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration. source: VoteTexas.gov (Texas Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "You can still register to vote on Election Day in Texas." False
  The facts: Texas has no same-day registration. The deadline to register for Nov. 3 was Oct. 5, 2026. source: VoteTexas.gov (Texas Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "Any Texas voter can vote by mail." False
  The facts: Only voters who are 65 or older, sick or disabled, out of the county during early voting and on Election Day, expecting to give birth within three weeks of Election Day, or in jail but otherwise eligible can vote by mail. Applications must be received by Oct. 23. You must write your driver license or ID number (or the last four digits of your Social Security number) on both the application and the ballot envelope. source: sos.state.tx.us (Texas Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "A mailed ballot counts as long as it's postmarked by Election Day." False
  The facts: It must be postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day AND arrive by 5 p.m. the next day (Wed., Nov. 4). With no postmark, it must arrive by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Military and overseas voters get a few more days. source: VoteTexas.gov (Texas Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "If you were ever convicted of a felony, you can never vote again in Texas." False
  The facts: You can register and vote again once you have finished your whole sentence, including any prison time, parole, supervision or probation. source: VoteTexas.gov (Texas Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "You can vote for all of one party's candidates with a single mark." False
  The facts: Texas ended straight-party voting starting in 2020. You must mark a choice in each race you want to vote in. source: sos.texas.gov (Texas 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.