A 62-year-old woman from Costa Mesa, California, has been charged with multiple felonies after allegedly registering her dog to vote in the state’s 2021 gubernatorial election.
The woman, identified as Laura Yourex, sparked controversy after posting a photograph of her dog, Maya Jean, wearing an “I voted” sticker on social media. In another post from October 2024, she shared a picture of Maya’s dog tag alongside a vote-by-mail ballot, captioned “maya is still getting her ballot” despite the dog’s death.
According to prosecutors, Yourex reported herself to authorities last year, prompting an investigation by the Orange County District Attorney’s office. She now faces charges of perjury, procuring or offering a false or forged document, casting a ballot when not entitled to vote, and registering a non-existent person to vote.
At her brief court appearance on Tuesday, Yourex did not enter a plea. Her attorney, Jaime Coulter, said his client acted out of misplaced activism rather than criminal intent.
“Laura Yourex sincerely regrets her unwise attempt to expose flaws in our state voting system, intending to improve it by demonstrating that even a dog can be registered to vote,” Coulter told reporters.
He added that her intention was “to have them investigate and ultimately improve our voting registration system.”
California election law allows citizens to register by submitting an affidavit under penalty of perjury that lists personal details such as name, residence, and date of birth. However, proof of residence or identification is not required to register or cast a ballot in state elections.
The Orange County District Attorney’s office noted: “As a result, the 2022 primary ballot cast in Maya Jean’s name was challenged and rejected.”
The case has reignited debate over voter roll security in the U.S., a topic that has become politically charged amid repeated — and largely unfounded — claims by some Republicans that non-citizens and deceased individuals regularly appear on voter lists.
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