California Woman Accused Of Registering Her Dog To Vote, Submitting Ballots In Its Name

A California woman is facing multiple felony charges after investigators say she registered her dog to vote and submitted ballots in the animals name during two California elections, then posted about it on social media.

Prosecutors allege that 62-year-old Laura Lee Yourex of Costa Mesa not only registered her pet, Maya Jean Yourex, as a voter but also cast mail-in ballots that were issued to the dog in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 primary election. According to the Orange County District Attorneys Office, the ballot cast in the 2021 recall was successfully counted, while the ballot submitted during the 2022 primary was challenged and rejected.

Yourex has been charged with five felonies: one count of perjury, one count of procuring or offering a false or forged document to be filed, two counts of casting a ballot when not entitled to vote, and one count of registering a non-existent person to vote. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 9 at the Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center in Westminster. If convicted on all counts, she faces a maximum of six years in state prison.

The case began on Oct. 28, 2024, when the Orange County Registrar of Voters Office alerted prosecutors after Yourex self-reported that she had registered her dog and cast ballots on its behalf. State law requires registered voters to complete and sign an Affidavit of Registration under penalty of perjury, including name, residence, date of birth, and confirmation of U.S. citizenship. Proof of residence or identification is not required to register or vote in state elections, though it is required for first-time voters in federal contests. Because of this, the 2022 ballot in Maya Jeans name was flagged and rejected, while the earlier ballot in the recall election was accepted.

The gubernatorial recall election, in which voters decided whether to remove Gov. Gavin Newsom from office, was defeated with 61.9% voting against the recall.

Following an investigation by the Orange County District Attorneys Office Bureau of Investigation, sufficient evidence was developed to file charges. Prosecutors also pointed to social media posts by Yourex as evidence: in January 2022, she shared a photograph of her dog wearing an “I voted” sticker and posing with her ballot. Another post in October 2024 showed Mayas dog tag alongside a vote-by-mail ballot with the caption, “maya is still getting her ballot,” despite the fact that the dog had already died.