Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "In West Virginia you can't vote without a photo ID." False
  The facts: You'll be asked for an ID, and many kinds count, including a driver's license, passport, military ID or student ID. If you don't have one, an adult who has known you for at least six months can sign a sworn statement for you, or a poll worker who has known you that long can vouch for you. Otherwise you vote a provisional ballot, and it counts if your signature matches your registration. Registered voters can get a free voter ID card from their county clerk. source: sos.wv.gov
• Heard this? "You can still register to vote at the polls on Election Day." False
  The facts: In West Virginia you must register at least 21 days before the election. Check your county clerk or the Secretary of State for the exact date. source: sos.wv.gov
• Heard this? "Any West Virginia voter can vote by mail." False
  The facts: You need a reason on the state's list, such as an illness or disability, being out of the county for work, school or travel, or military or overseas service. Early voting in person is open to everyone; check the Secretary of State for the dates. source: Sos.Wv.Gov
• Heard this? "A mailed ballot doesn't count unless it arrives by Election Day." False
  The facts: A mailed absentee ballot counts if it is postmarked by Election Day and arrives before the county starts its official count (canvass). Check the Secretary of State for the exact dates and for the rules on dropping a ballot off in person. source: sos.wv.gov
• Heard this? "If you were ever convicted of a felony, you can never vote again in West Virginia." False
  The facts: You can't register or vote while serving your sentence. Once the sentence is fully served, you may register again and vote in the next election. source: sos.wv.gov
• Heard this? "People who aren't U.S. citizens can legally vote in West Virginia today." False
  The facts: You must be a U.S. citizen, by birth or naturalization, to register to vote in West Virginia. That rule is in state law now. Amendment 1 on this ballot asks whether to also write it into the state constitution. source: sos.wv.gov
• 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.