Published on: Sept 07, 2025 02:42 pm IST
A California woman, Laura Lee Yourex, has been charged for illegally registering her dog to vote to be able to cast two ballots.
A California woman has been charged for illegally registering her dog to vote to be able to cast two ballots, one of them in the pooch’s name. 62-year-old Laura Lee Yourex is now facing five felony charges, including perjury, procuring or offering a false or forged document to be filed, casting a ballot when not entitled to vote and registering a non-existent person to vote, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, per the New York Post.
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Who is Laura Lee Yourex?
Yourex is from Costa Mesa, and has been accused of submitting mail-in ballots under her dog’s name, Maya Jean Yourex. She did this during the 2021 gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 primary, the District Attorney’s Office said. While the recall ballot was counted, the primary ballot was rejected.
Yourex reported herself in October of last year to the Orange County Registrar of Voter’s Office. She was then reported to the District Attorney’s Office.
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An investigation revealed that Yourex posted a photo of her dog wearing an “I Voted” sticker, posing with a ballot. In October 2022, Yourex shared a photo of the canine’s collar and mail-in ballot addressed to the dog, saying that she got the ballot despite passing away. “Maya is still getting her ballot,” Yourex wrote.
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If convicted on all counts, Yourex faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison. The District Attorney’s Office did not reveal how the woman cast the fraudulent votes or which party received the pooch’s votes.
In California, an eligible voter must fill out a form with identifiable information and political preference to register a vote. They must also affirm their citizenship under the penalty of perjury.
Citizens do not need proof of residence or identification to register to vote or cast a ballot in state elections. However, proof of residence and registration is required for first-time voters to cast a ballot in a federal election.
