A 62-year-old Orange County woman has been charged with multiple felonies after allegedly registering her dog to vote in California elections. Prosecutors say the animal was illegally registered in both the 2021 gubernatorial recall and the 2022 primary election, raising serious questions about election security. Officials confirmed that one of the ballots cast in the dog’s name was successfully counted.
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Dog Registered as Voter
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Laura Lee Yourex of Costa Mesa registered her pet dog, Maya Jean Yourex, to vote. Investigators found that Maya was registered for both the 2021 recall election of Governor Gavin Newsom and the 2022 primary election. While Maya’s vote was accepted in 2021, it was rejected during the 2022 primary.
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Self-Report Sparks Investigation
The case came to light in October 2024, when the Orange County Registrar of Voters’ Office was contacted by Yourex herself. She admitted to registering her dog and casting a mail-in ballot addressed to Maya. The Orange County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation opened an inquiry and determined there was sufficient evidence to file criminal charges.
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Evidence on Social Media
Prosecutors said investigators discovered several incriminating posts on Yourex’s social media accounts. In January 2022, she shared a photo of Maya wearing an “I Voted” sticker alongside a voter’s ballot. Another post in October 2024 featured Maya’s dog tag and a mail-in ballot with the caption, “maya is still getting her ballot,” despite Maya having passed away by that time.
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California Voting Requirements
California election law requires that only U.S. citizens who complete and sign an official Affidavit of Registration may vote. The affidavit includes a voter’s personal details and must be signed under penalty of perjury. The DOJ noted that proof of residence or identification is not required for state elections, though it is required for first-time voters in federal elections.
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Charges and Penalties
Yourex now faces five felony charges: perjury, filing a false document, registering a non-existent person, and two counts of casting a ballot when not entitled to vote. Prosecutors said that if convicted, she could face a minimum of six years in state prison.
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Election Integrity Concerns
The DOJ emphasized that while safeguards eventually caught the fraudulent 2022 ballot, the successful 2021 vote highlighted vulnerabilities in the system. “As a result, the 2022 primary ballot cast in Maya Jean’s name was challenged and rejected,” officials noted. The 2021 gubernatorial recall, meanwhile, was rejected by nearly 62% of California voters.