Woman faces five felonies after dog votes in two elections

A woman residing in California now faces multiple felony accusations due to an unusual incident where her pet dog reportedly managed to register for voting, and its ballot was actually counted during the 2021 recall election for governor.

In the 2021 recall and primary elections held in Orange County last year, there was a significant voter turnout. However, what grabbed headlines was an unusual circumstance – a voter who seemingly managed to slip through the system unnoticed. It has now been revealed that this atypical participant in the elections was none other than a dog residing in Costa Mesa.

According to CBS reports, the dog in question was named Maya Jean Yourex, who sadly passed away. Her owner, Laura Lee Yourex, aged 62, is accused of registering her dog to vote and submitting ballots under its name. One ballot was accepted during the 2021 recall election, but a subsequent attempt in 2022 was ultimately rejected.

Maya the dog pictured next to her ballot wearing an “I Voted” sticker

Dog owner could face 6 years behind bars

Based on information from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, it was revealed in October 2024 that Maya had herself admitted to a scheme where she registered her dog to vote. Further investigation led to discoveries of social media posts depicting Maya with an “I Voted” sticker and a ballot, as well as a post indicating that the dog was still receiving mail-in ballots despite being deceased.

In simpler terms, it means that a vote cast under Maya’s name in 2021 was valid due to California’s regulations not asking for ID or proof of residence for state-level elections. Yet, her ballot in the 2022 cycle was marked and declined because there were extra demands for federal voting cycles.

Currently, Yourex is facing charges for committing five criminal offenses: perjury, falsely registering someone who does not exist to vote, providing or offering a fake document, and two instances of voting unlawfully. If found guilty, she may be sentenced to spend up to six years in state prison.

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2025-09-06 18:18