Caught on Social Media After Registering Dog to Vote... U.S. Woman to Pay $1,500 for Billboards

U.S. Woman Who Submitted Ballots in Her Dog's Name
Agrees to Pay for Four Billboards Against Illegal Voting
"If you can't legally vote, don't vote"

A woman in the United States who registered her pet dog as a voter and submitted ballots in the dog’s name will have to pay for billboards warning against illegal voting. The billboards feature a photo of her dog that she previously posted on social media.

Submitted Ballots in Dog’s Name... Caught Through Social Media Posts

Laura Lee Urex's pet dog, "Maya Jin Urex." Facebook

According to the Daily Mail on October 19, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office in California said that Laura Lee Urex, a resident of Costa Mesa, pleaded guilty on April 10 to one count of registering a nonexistent person to vote.

Urex was accused of registering her pet dog, Maya Jin Urex, as a voter in California’s 2021 gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 primary election. A ballot submitted in the dog’s name was counted in the 2021 election but invalidated in the 2022 primary.

The case came to light after Urex posted a photo on social media of Maya with an “I voted” sticker, along with the dog’s ballot.

Prosecutors began investigating after being notified of the allegations by Orange County election officials on October 28, 2024. Even after Maya died, Urex posted on social media a photo of the dog’s identification tag alongside a mail-in ballot. She added the caption, “Maya still has the right to vote.”

Dog’s Photo Appears on Billboard Warning Against Election Fraud

Urex was initially charged with five felonies, but under a plea agreement, she agreed to pay $1,500 (approximately KRW 2 million) toward the production and installation of four billboards aimed at preventing illegal voting.

The billboards feature a photo of Maya wearing an “I voted” sticker and the warning: “Don’t be a dog. Election fraud is a crime. If you can’t legally vote, don’t vote. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute.” The billboards are scheduled to be installed near Highways 55 and 22 through California’s midterm elections on November 3.

According to prosecutors, the case was concluded early this week after Urex pleaded guilty and agreed to cover the cost of the billboards. The case will be remembered as an unusual instance of a pet’s photo being used in a public service campaign warning against illegal voting.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.