Following California’s 2021 gubernatorial election, 62-year-old Laura Yourex shared a picture of her dog, Maya Jean, with a “I voted” sticker on social media.
A picture of Maya’s dog tag and a ballot that was sent in the mail was shown in another article dated October 2024. The caption read, “Maya is still getting her ballot,” despite the fact that the dog has passed away.
The suspected voter fraud last year prompted Yourex, a resident of Costa Mesa, south of Los Angeles, to denounce herself to the authorities.
Following an investigation by the local district attorney, she was charged with many offenses, including perjury, obtaining or presenting a counterfeit or fraudulent document, casting a ballot while not authorized to do so, and registering a voter who did not exist.
Yourex did not enter a plea at her brief court appearance on Tuesday, but according to Yourex’s attorney, his client had attempted to draw attention to what she perceived as flaws in the system.
Jaime Coulter told reporters, “Laura Yourex wishes to improve our state voting system by showing that even a dog can be registered to vote, and she sincerely regrets her foolish attempt to expose flaws in it.”
Yourex wanted “to have them investigate and ultimately improve our voting registration system,” according to Coulter.
If an individual submits an affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury, stating their name, residence, postal address, date of birth, and preferred political party, they can register to vote under California election law.
According to a statement from the Orange County District Attorney’s office, “Citizens do not need proof of residence or identification to register to vote in state elections or to cast a ballot in state elections.”
It stated that in a federal election, first-time voters must provide proof of residency and registration.
“As a result, Maya Jean’s name was challenged and removed from the 2022 primary ballot.”
A large portion of the Republican Party has been claiming without proof that the US voter rolls are full of dead persons and non-citizens, which has made voter roll security a major problem in recent decades.
