A 62-year-old woman from Costa Mesa, California, United States, is facing up to six years in prison for allegedly registering her dog to vote and casting ballots in two elections, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
The woman, identified as Laura Lee Yourex, has been charged with five felonies, including perjury, filing false documents, casting a ballot when not entitled to vote, and registering a non-existent person.
Officials said the dog’s vote was accepted in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election but rejected in the 2022 primary.
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In 2024, Yourex informed the Orange County Registrar of Voters’ Office that she had registered her dog, Maya Jean Yourex, prompting the registrar to alert the District Attorney.
According to prosecutors, Yourex also shared posts on social media about the act. In January 2022, she posted a photo of her dog wearing an “I Voted” sticker beside her ballot.
Another post in October 2024 showed Maya’s dog tag alongside a vote-by-mail ballot with the caption, “maya is still getting her ballot,” even though the dog had already died.
According to ABC News, her arraignment, originally scheduled for September 9, has been postponed until December 10.