California Woman Charged After Allegedly Casting Ballots in Her Dog’s Name — Twice
In a bizarre case that’s raising fresh concerns about election integrity, a 62-year-old California woman has been criminally charged after allegedly registering her dog to vote and casting ballots under the pet’s name in two separate elections.
Laura Lee Yourex, of Orange County, is accused of using her deceased dog, Maya Jean Yourex, to fraudulently participate in California’s 2021 gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 primary election. According to the Los Angeles Times, only the 2021 ballot was accepted. The dog had reportedly passed away before the 2022 election, yet Yourex continued to flaunt the fraud online.
In October 2022, she shared a photo on social media showing Maya’s dog tag alongside a mail-in ballot, with the caption: “Maya is still getting her ballot.” The post, viewed by investigators, helped uncover the scheme.
The case came to light after Yourex herself reportedly contacted the Orange County Registrar of Voters to admit she had registered and voted on behalf of her dog. That prompted a referral to the district attorney’s office.
She now faces up to six years in jail after being charged with:
One count of registering a nonexistent person to vote
One count of perjury
One count of procuring a false or forged document to be filed
Two counts of casting a ballot when not entitled to vote
While the case may seem unusual — even humorous — it underscores significant concerns about election safeguards in California.
Critics argue that the fact a dog was able to be registered and cast a ballot points to glaring weaknesses in the state’s voter verification system.
California does not require proof of residence to vote in state elections, unlike federal elections, which is why Maya’s 2022 primary ballot was ultimately rejected.
Voter ID laws, proof of citizenship requirements, and in-person voting protocols are often cited as additional tools that could help prevent such incidents.
California was not alone in being scrutinized. According to The Los Angeles Times, more than two dozen other states received similar inquiries from the federal government regarding election integrity and registration procedures.
Photo credit: Flickr
