Laura Lee Yourex, 62, faces five felony charges including perjury and submitting forged documents after registering her dog Maya Jean Yourex as a voter and casting ballots under the pet’s name. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office says Maya’s vote counted in California’s 2021 gubernatorial recall election, though a second ballot was rejected the following year. Yourex herself reported the scheme to election officials in 2024. Investigators discovered social media posts showing Maya wearing an “I voted” sticker and a caption reading “maya is still getting her ballot” after the dog’s death. Yourex faces a potential six-year prison sentence. (Story URL)