An Orange County woman has completed a court-ordered public awareness campaign involving billboards after she registered her dog to vote. Laura Lee Yourex, 64, reached a plea deal with prosecutors that resulted in the dismissal of charges in exchange for funding advertisements that warn the public against voter fraud.
The case originated from the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 primary election. Investigators determined that Yourex registered her dog, Maya Jean, and submitted five mail-in ballots across those two cycles. The Orange County District Attorney’s office reported that one ballot cast in the dog’s name was successfully counted during the 2021 recall, though a ballot in the 2022 primary was not.
As part of the legal agreement, Yourex paid $1,500 to fund four billboards across Orange County. The advertisements feature a photograph of Maya Jean wearing an "I voted" sticker alongside the phrase "Don’t be a dog." The signs state that voting fraud is a crime, note that ineligible individuals should not vote, and provide contact information for the District Attorney’s office to report suspected fraud.
The investigation began after a woman contacted the registrar to report that she had registered her dog and posted about the actions on social media.
The resolution involved the dismissal of five felony charges following a misdemeanor plea. Prosecutors pursued the case to emphasize that ineligible voting is a violation of state law.
The four billboards are currently active and are scheduled to remain in place through the November election. Following the installation of these signs, prosecutors moved this week to dismiss the remaining charges against Yourex.
WHO: Laura Lee Yourex, 64; the Orange County District Attorney's office. WHAT: A woman reached a plea deal to fund billboards featuring her dog to warn against voter fraud after she registered the pet to vote. WHEN: The charges were dismissed during the week of October 12, 2026, after the billboards were installed. WHERE: Orange County, California WHY: To resolve charges related to voter fraud by funding a public awareness campaign.