Laura Lee Yourex, 62, from Costa Mesa, California, set out to expose what she believed were flaws in the state’s voting system by registering her dog, Maya, to vote in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 primary. Yourex has since been caught and pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor of registering a non-existent person to vote.
Under California law, a person must submit an affidavit of registration that includes identification information, residence, mailing address, political affiliation, date of birth, and certification of U.S. citizenship. Critically, if any of that information is falsified, the voter must also sign a document acknowledging they can be prosecuted for perjury.
