US woman accused of registering dog to vote faces six years in jail

Laura Yourex, 62, posted a photograph on social media showing her dog Maya Jean wearing an "I voted" sticker after California's 2021 gubernatorial election. Photo / Laura Yourex

A US woman charged with registering her dog to vote has appeared in court facing charges that could see her jailed for six years.

Laura Yourex, 62, posted a photograph on social media showing her dog Maya Jean wearing an “I voted” sticker after California’s 2021 gubernatorial election.

Another post from October 2024 showed a photograph of Maya’s dog tag and a vote-by-mail ballot with the caption “maya is still getting her ballot” even though the dog had died.

Yourex, of Costa Mesa, south of Los Angeles, reported herself to authorities over the alleged voter fraud last year.

The local district attorney investigated, and she was charged with multiple crimes including 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.

After a brief court appearance today, in which she did not enter a plea, Yourex’s lawyer said his client had sought to highlight what she saw as defects in the system.

“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,” Jaime Coulter told reporters.

Coulter said Yourex’s intention was “to have them investigate and ultimately improve our voting registration system”.

Under California election law, citizens can be registered to vote if they submit an affidavit – signed under penalty of perjury – detailing their name, residence, mailing address, date of birth and political party preference.

“Proof of residence or identification is not required for citizens to register to vote in state elections nor is it required to cast a ballot in state elections,” the Orange County District Attorney’s office said in a statement.

Proof of residence and registration is required for first-time voters in a federal election, it said.

“As a result, the 2022 primary ballot cast in Maya Jean’s name was challenged and rejected.”

US voter roll security has become a huge issue in recent decades, with a constant drum beat from a swathe of the Republican Party charging – without evidence – that they are filled with non-citizens and dead people.

– Agence France-Presse