Southern California woman accused of registering dog to vote, casting 2 ballots

An Orange County woman could face up to six years in state prison for improperly registering to vote under her dog’s name and then casting two ballots, one of which was counted.

Laura Lee Yourex, 62, of Costa Mesa, faces five felony charges related to voter fraud for registering her dog to vote.

According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Yourex submitted mail-in ballots under the name Maya Jean Yourex, her dog’s name, during the 2021 gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 primary.

The first ballot was successfully counted, while the second was challenged and rejected, officials said.

Last October, Yourex self-reported the crime to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, which in turn reported it to local authorities.

An investigation was launched which determined that Yourex had registered Maya Jean to vote, participated in the two elections, and then posted about the activity on social media.

In January 2022, she posted a photo of the dog wearing an “I Voted” sticker and posing with the fraudulent ballot. In October 2024, she posted a photo of the dog’s collar and a mail-in ballot addressed to her, saying that she still received them, despite the dog previously passing.

She has since been charged with five felonies, including perjury, offering a forged document, casting a ballot when not entitled to vote, and registering a non-existent person to vote. She is due in court next week.

In order to register to vote in California, an eligible voter must fill out a form with identifiable information, political preference and attest to their citizenship under the penalty of perjury.

While California Elections Code does not require proof of residence or identification for citizens to register to vote or cast a ballot in state elections, proof of residence and registration is required for first-time voters to vote in a federal election.

That discrepancy led to the 2021 recall vote being accepted, while the primary ballot in the dog’s name was challenged and rejected, officials said.

The 2021 recall election was ultimately unsuccessful, with Gov. Gavin Newsom staving off the effort with nearly 62% of support from voters.

The D.A.’s Office did not disclose how Yourex cast those fraudulent votes, or which party, if any, may have benefited from the scheme.

Officials say anyone with information regarding potential election-related “irregularities” can contact the D.A.’s Office Election Fraud Hotline at 657-707-4048.