California Woman Charged for Dog Voting

Laura Lee Yourex, a 62-year-old woman from Costa Mesa, United States — California, has been charged with five felonies for allegedly registering her dog, Maya Jean Yourex, to vote and casting mail-in ballots in the dog's name. The fraudulent votes were cast in the 2021 United States — California gubernatorial recall election of Gavin Newsom and the 2022 primary election. One ballot was counted, while the other was rejected due to federal election requirements for first-time voters. The United States — Orange County, California District Attorney's Office began investigating after Yourex self-reported her actions to the United States — Orange County, California Registrar of Voters office. Yourex also posted about her actions on social media, including a photo of her dog wearing an 'I voted' sticker and a later post showing a ballot after the dog's death. She faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison if convicted on all counts.