Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "You have to show a photo ID to vote in Washington." False
  The facts: Washington votes by mail, and your signature on the return envelope is checked. You can register without ID. If you registered without giving a Washington driver license, state ID or the last four digits of your Social Security number, your ballot is counted once you give a qualifying ID to your county elections office. source: sos.wa.gov (Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "It's too late to register for Nov. 3." False
  The facts: Online and mail registrations had to arrive by Oct. 26, but you can register in person at your county elections office until 8 p.m. on Election Day and vote then. source: sos.wa.gov (Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "If you mail your ballot on Election Day, it will count." False
  The facts: A mailed ballot must be postmarked by Election Day, and the Postal Service now postmarks mail when it reaches a processing center, which can be a day or more later. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs advises mailing at least a week early, or using an official drop box by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. At a post office counter you can ask for a hand-stamped postmark. source: fox13seattle.com
• Heard this? "If you were ever convicted of a felony, you can never vote again in Washington." False
  The facts: Your right to vote comes back as soon as you are released from prison. You must register again to get a ballot. You do not need a certificate of discharge. source: sos.wa.gov (Secretary of State)
• Heard this? "Washington already has a state income tax on everyone's wages." False
  The facts: In 2026 lawmakers passed a 9.9% tax only on the part of a household's yearly income above $1 million, and it does not start until 2028. Initiative IP26-645 on this ballot would repeal it. Income under $1 million is not taxed by the state. source: sos.wa.gov (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.