A quirky but serious story out of Orange County, California, has taken a strange turn in the legal world.
A 62-year-old woman is now facing multiple felony charges after she registered her dog to vote—and even shared photos online of her pet with a ballot.
The Dog That Voted
Laura Lee Yourex, a Costa Mesa resident, made headlines after admitting she cast ballots in her dog Maya Jean’s name.
The votes were successfully counted in a 2021 gubernatorial election, though a later attempt in the 2022 primary was rejected.
Yourex reportedly approached the Orange County Registrar of Voters herself to disclose what she had done, shedding light on the curious case of a dog on the voter rolls.
Legal Loopholes in State Voting
Interestingly, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office explained that California state elections do not require proof of residence or identification for citizens to register and vote.
Federal elections are different, demanding registration and proof of residency for first-time voters.
“This is why Maya Jean’s ballot in the 2022 primary was challenged and ultimately rejected,” officials noted.
For context, the 2021 recall election against Governor Gavin Newsom failed, with 61.9% voting to keep him in office.
Charges Against Yourex
Yourex now faces five felony charges: perjury, submitting a false or forged document, two counts of voting when not entitled, and registering a non-existent person.
The case drew extra attention after Yourex shared images on Facebook.
In January 2022, she posted a photo of Maya Jean wearing an “I Voted” sticker alongside her ballot.
Then, in October 2024, another post showed Maya’s dog tag and a mail-in ballot with the caption, “Maya is still getting her ballot,” despite the dog having passed away.
How the dog managed to register and vote remains a mystery, but legal authorities are taking the matter seriously.
Yourex is scheduled for arraignment in Westminster on September 9 and could face up to six years in prison if convicted on all counts.
Broader Debate Over Mail-In Voting
This story also comes amid ongoing political battles over mail-in voting.
In June, former President Trump filed a lawsuit against Orange County’s Registrar of Voters, alleging the office refused to share records on voter removals.
Trump has repeatedly criticized mail-in ballots, calling them a source of fraud, though his own 2024 campaign actively encouraged supporters to vote by mail.
Recently, ahead of the 2026 midterms, he reignited his push against mail-in ballots, promising to lead a movement to overhaul voting methods he claims Democrats exploited in 2020.
Controversial Claims About Mail-In Voting
Trump has made sweeping statements about mail-in voting, claiming the U.S. is unique in using the method and citing “massive voter fraud,” though many nations—including Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, and Spain—regularly use mail-in voting.
Despite his past encouragement of mail-in voting for supporters, he continues to argue that Democrats rely on it to win elections, calling it a “completely disproven” method that undermines election integrity.
What’s Next
With Yourex’s arraignment looming, the case is sure to draw attention not only for its unusual circumstances but also for its timing within a highly charged national conversation about voting laws and election integrity.