Can a Dog Vote On Your Behalf? The Bizarre California Case That Shocked Voters

A woman from California has been charged after allegedly registering her dog to vote so she could cast two ballots. The woman, 62-year-old Laura Lee Yourex from Costa Mesa, is facing five felony charges. These include perjury, submitting false documents, voting when she wasn’t entitled to, and registering a fake person to vote, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Officials say Yourex used her dog’s name, Maya Jean Yourex, to submit mail-in ballots. She did this during the 2021 recall election for governor and again in the 2022 primary election. The recall ballot was accepted and counted, but the primary ballot was rejected.

How Did California Woman’s Dog Manage to Vote?

In October 2022, Yourex even posted on social media showing her dog wearing an “I Voted” sticker and posing with a ballot. Later, she also shared a picture of her dog’s collar next to a mail-in ballot addressed to the dog. In the post, she joked that Maya was still getting ballots, even though the dog had already passed away.

A year later, in October 2023, Yourex went to the Orange County Registrar of Voter’s Office and admitted what she had done. The case was then handed over to the District Attorney’s Office for investigation.

If found guilty of all charges, Yourex could face up to six years in prison. Authorities have not revealed how she was able to cast the fraudulent votes or which political party may have benefited from them.

Conditions Require to Vote in California

In California, registering to vote requires filling out a form with basic details and affirming citizenship under penalty of perjury. However, residents do not need to show proof of residence or identification when registering or voting in state elections. Proof of residence is only required for first-time voters in federal elections.

Interestingly, an individual can vote or register in California state elections even without having a valid ID proof. Experts have discussed this issue for long, and noted that these loopholes could be easily exploited. However, some also support this process and pint out that voting becomes easier through this. Although, for voting in federal elections, a proof of residence is required.

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