Your ballot, explained.

Heard this? Here are the facts

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

• Heard this? "In Colorado you need a photo ID to vote."
  The facts: No. Colorado accepts many kinds of ID, with or without a photo, such as a utility bill or bank statement with your name and address. Without one you can still vote a provisional ballot, which counts once your eligibility is checked. source: ncsl.org
• Heard this? "It's too late to register for Nov. 3."
  The facts: No. In Colorado you can register and vote in person at a voter service and polling center through 7 p.m. on Election Day. To get a ballot by mail, register by Oct. 26. source: ncsl.org
• Heard this? "A mail ballot counts as long as it's postmarked by Election Day."
  The facts: No. Colorado mails every registered voter a ballot, and it must be received by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3. After about Oct. 27, use a drop box or a voting center instead of the mail. source: ncsl.org
• Heard this? "If you were ever convicted of a felony, you can't vote in Colorado."
  The facts: Only people serving a felony sentence in prison can't vote. Your right to vote comes back automatically when you leave prison, including while on parole. source: ncsl.org
• Heard this? "If Ballot Issue 7A (passenger rail) is on your ballot, your vote on it counts."
  The facts: Not always. About 800,000 voters outside the rail district got 7A on their ballots by mistake. The Secretary of State says only votes from voters who live in the district will count. source: kunc.org
• 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.