An Orange County woman has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after prosecutors say she illegally registered her dog to vote and cast ballots in two separate California elections.
Laura Lee Yourex, 62, of Costa Mesa, allegedly registered her dog, Maya Jean Yourex, as a voter and submitted mail-in ballots in the dog’s name during the 2021 recall election of then-Governor Gavin Newsom and the 2022 primary election.
According to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, the fraudulent ballot cast in 2021 was successfully counted in the recall election, while the 2022 primary ballot submitted under the dog’s name was flagged and rejected.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced that Yourex has been charged with one felony count of perjury, one felony count of procuring or offering a false or forged document to be filed, two felony counts of casting a ballot when not entitled to vote, and one felony count of registering a non-existent person to vote.
NEW: The Orange County, CA DA’s office has charged a Costa Mesa woman w/ illegally registering her dog to vote in California and casting mail in ballots in her dog’s name. The dog’s vote was successfully counted in the 2021 recall of Governor Newsom, but was rejected in the 2022…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) September 5, 2025
If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison.
District Attorney Spitzer said in a statement:
“A Costa Mesa woman has been charged with five felonies for illegally registering her dog to vote and casting ballots in her dog’s name in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 primary election. The dog’s vote was successfully counted in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election but was rejected in the 2022 primary. Laura Lee Yourex, 62, of Costa Mesa, has been charged with one felony count of perjury, one felony count of procuring or offering a false or forged document to be filed, two felony counts of casting a ballot when not entitled to vote, and one felony count of registering a non-existent person to vote. Yourex is scheduled to be arraigned at the Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center in Westminster on September 9, 2025, in Department W12. She faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison if convicted on all counts.”
Prosecutors said the Orange County District Attorney’s Office was alerted to the case on October 28, 2024, by the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
Officials reported that Yourex had admitted to registering her dog to vote and casting ballots addressed to the animal.
California election law requires individuals registering to vote to submit an Affidavit of Registration containing their name, residence, mailing address, date of birth, political party preference, and certification of U.S. citizenship, all signed under penalty of perjury.
Proof of residence or identification is not required to register or vote in state elections, though it is required for first-time voters in federal elections.
As a result, the fraudulent 2022 primary ballot cast in Maya Jean’s name was rejected.
By contrast, the 2021 recall ballot was accepted and counted.
That election concluded with 61.9 percent of voters choosing to keep Newsom in office.
An investigation conducted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation found evidence that Yourex not only registered her dog but also cast ballots mailed to the fraudulent registration.
Investigators also reviewed social media posts in which Yourex appeared to acknowledge the scheme.
In January 2022, she posted a photo of her dog wearing an “I voted” sticker and posing with a ballot.
🚨 A woman in Orange County faces five felony charges after registering her dog to vote in the 2021 Newsom recall and 2022 primary election.
— Yoshi The Patriot (@yoshithepatriot) September 6, 2025
She posted a picture of the dog with an “I voted” sticker on her social media. pic.twitter.com/fyLxwSaLEu
Another post from October 2024 displayed a photograph of Maya’s dog tag alongside a vote-by-mail ballot, captioned, “maya is still getting her ballot,” despite the fact the dog had already died.
Yourex is scheduled to be arraigned on September 9, 2025, at the Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center in Westminster.
The case has drawn broader attention amid ongoing scrutiny of California’s election procedures.
Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, has recently taken legal action against Orange County Registrar of Voters Robert Page for declining to provide voter registration records related to non-citizens allegedly being allowed to vote in federal elections.
Following news of Yourex’s charges, Dhillon commented on the case.
“And yet…Orange County refused to provide @CivilRights with voter registration records they are required to produce on demand. We had to sue! What next, someone’s pet llama or support peacock on the rolls?! We will find the whole darn menagerie by the time we are done!” Dhillon said.
And yet…Orange County refused to provide @CivilRights with voter registration records they are required to produce on demand. We had to sue! What next, someone’s pet llama 🦙 or support peacock 🦚 on the rolls?! We will find the whole darn menagerie by the time we are done!🤨 https://t.co/4e4MbTGqWu
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) September 6, 2025
The case will proceed in Orange County court as officials continue reviewing voter registration practices across the state.
