In the “You Cannot Make This Stuff Up,” category, a woman registered her dog to vote and actually cast two mail-in ballots in the dog’s name. 

Tell me again how voter ID is racist? 

A Costa Mesa woman accused of registering her dog to vote and casting two ballots in the dog’s name has been charged with five felonies, authorities said Friday, Sept. 5.

Laura Lee Yourex, 62, allegedly registered her dog, Maya Jean Yourex, to vote and cast two mail-in ballots – in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election of California Governor Gavin Newsom and the 2022 primary election, Orange County District Attorney spokeswoman Kimberly Edds said.

The first ballot was counted; the second was rejected, she said.

Wonder what breed the dog was and who she voted for in the 2021 gubernatorial recall? 

Here’s the kicker: Laura Lee Yourex ratted herself out, self-reporting to the Orange County Registrar that she had signed up her dog Maya Jean to vote.

The DA’s office began investigating in late October after the Orange County Registrar of Voters office informed them of a resident who self-reported that she had registered her dog to vote and had cast mail-in ballots addressed to her dog, according to Edds.

The DA’s office learned that Yourex had posted photos to social media, one in January 2022 of her dog wearing an “I voted” sticker, and one in October 2024 of Maya’s dog tag and a vote-by-mail ballot with the caption “Maya is still getting her ballot,” even after the dog had passed away, Edds said.