Who is Laura Lee Yourex? California woman accused of illegally registering her dog to vote; facing felony charges

A California woman, Laura Lee Yourex, has been charged for illegally registering her dog to vote to be able to cast two ballots.

Published on: Sep 7, 2025, 14:42:26 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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A California woman has been charged for illegally registering her dog to vote to be able to cast two ballots, one of them in the pooch’s name. 62-year-old Laura Lee Yourex is now facing five felony charges, including perjury, procuring or offering a false or forged document to be filed, casting a ballot when not entitled to vote and registering a non-existent person to vote, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, per the New York Post.

Who is Laura Yourex? California woman illegally registers her dog to vote (Unsplash - representational image)

Who is Laura Lee Yourex?

Yourex is from Costa Mesa, and has been accused of submitting mail-in ballots under her dog’s name, Maya Jean Yourex. She did this during the 2021 gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 primary, the District Attorney’s Office said. While the recall ballot was counted, the primary ballot was rejected.

Yourex reported herself in October of last year to the Orange County Registrar of Voter’s Office. She was then reported to the District Attorney’s Office.

An investigation revealed that Yourex posted a photo of her dog wearing an “I Voted” sticker, posing with a ballot. In October 2022, Yourex shared a photo of the canine’s collar and mail-in ballot addressed to the dog, saying that she got the ballot despite passing away. “Maya is still getting her ballot,” Yourex wrote.

If convicted on all counts, Yourex faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison. The District Attorney’s Office did not reveal how the woman cast the fraudulent votes or which party received the pooch’s votes.

In California, an eligible voter must fill out a form with identifiable information and political preference to register a vote. They must also affirm their citizenship under the penalty of perjury.

Citizens do not need proof of residence or identification to register to vote or cast a ballot in state elections. However, proof of residence and registration is required for first-time voters to cast a ballot in a federal election.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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