California Woman Avoids Prison for Registering Dog to Vote, Will Fund Anti-Voter Fraud Billboards
Laura Lee Yourex pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and completed a plea deal requiring financial contribution for public awareness campaign.
A California woman has concluded a legal case stemming from the registration of her pet Boxer to vote by agreeing to fund anti-voter fraud billboards in Orange County. Laura Lee Yourex, 64, of Costa Mesa, had her felony charges dismissed after completing a plea deal that included a $1,500 payment for four billboards featuring her late dog, Maya Jean.
The billboards, now displayed across Orange County, carry a direct message: "Don’t be a dog. Voter Fraud is a Crime. If you can’t legally vote, don’t vote. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute."
Yourex faced five felony charges in September 2025 related to registering Maya Jean to vote and submitting ballots in the dog's name during the 2021 gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 primary election. Under the plea agreement, four of the felonies were dropped after she admitted to one misdemeanor count of knowingly registering a nonexistent person to vote.
She pleaded guilty on April 10, and the case was dismissed on October 13 after she fulfilled the terms of the agreement. The unusual situation came to light after Yourex posted images online that appeared to show her dog with an "I voted" sticker and with ballots. In January 2022, she shared a photo of Maya Jean with a ballot, and in October 2024, she posted a picture of the dog's tag with a caption indicating it was still receiving ballots, despite the dog having died.
The Orange County Registrar of Voters initiated an investigation after Yourex reportedly admitted to registering her dog and casting votes in its name. This investigation led to the initial felony charges.
According to a sworn statement included in her plea agreement, Yourex stated, "On or about 5/7/20, in Orange County, I did willfully and unlawfully cause an animal, to wit: a dog, to be registered as a voter, knowing that animal was not entitled to registration as a nonexistent person, and mailed and delivered that affidavit to a county elections official."
Maya Jean's ballot was reportedly counted in the 2021 recall election, while a ballot submitted in the dog's name during the 2022 primary was challenged and ultimately rejected. The billboards are intended to serve as a warning to voters ahead of the upcoming November 3 election, as California considers new voter identification requirements.