California woman who registered dog to vote gets unusual penalty

A Southern California woman who illegally registered her dog to vote and cast ballots in two elections has had her criminal case dismissed after pleading guilty and paying for anti-voter fraud billboards featuring her own pet, prosecutors announced Thursday. Laura Lee Yourex, 64, of Costa Mesa, was initially charged with five felonies after authorities discovered she had registered her dog, Maya Jean Yourex, to vote and submitted mail-in ballots in the animal’s name during California’s 2021 gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 primary election. According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the dog’s vote was successfully counted in the...