California county to cross-check voter rolls against pet license databases following fraud charges

Orange County in California ordered its voter registrar on Tuesday to scour voting lists and remove any names of pets that somehow made it onto the rolls. Here’s what you need to know about the voter roll cleanup following a case of dog voting:

The pet removal order

County board votes to clean up voter registration lists:

• County Board of Supervisors voted to order cleansing after troubling case earlier this month where charges were brought against woman accused of registering — and actually casting ballots — in name of her dog
• Board adopted measure on 3-1 vote, with one member abstaining
• “Today, common sense prevailed,” said Supervisor Don Wagner
• “The fact that a dog was registered and voted in two elections here in Orange County proves just how vulnerable our system is and why we need Voter ID laws in California”

The dog voting case

Woman charged with registering and voting as her pet:

• County district attorney earlier this month charged Laura Lee Yourex with registering her dog, Maya Jean Yourex, and casting mail-in ballots in its name in 2021 and 2022
• 2021 ballot was counted but 2022 ballot was rejected
• Prosecutor said Yourex posted picture of her dog with “I voted” sticker
• Wagner was joined in sponsoring measure by Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who asked, “How can we have a fair election if someone can stuff the ballot box with dogs?”

The election timing concerns

Supervisors cite upcoming redistricting vote:

• They said measure was particularly important now, given looming special election this year when voters will be asked to adopt Gov. Gavin Newsom’s partisan congressional map
• Map designed to shift five seats from Republicans to Democrats
• Timing raises stakes for voter roll accuracy according to board members
• Supervisors want to ensure integrity for high-stakes redistricting decision

The registration requirements

Different rules for state versus federal elections:

• Registrar Bob Page told supervisors that state law doesn’t require identification to vote in state matters, which is likely why 2021 ballot was counted
• That was state recall election
• Federal law requires proof of identity before registering, which dog did not provide
• That’s likely why 2022 vote in primary election for federal offices wasn’t counted

The citizenship attestation issue

All registrants check citizenship box, including pets:

• Page said all names on roll have attested that they are citizens of U.S.
• “Did the dog do that?” Wagner wondered
• “All registrations on our voter roll, the person — the registration form — checked the box that they were a citizen,” Page said
• “I am required under state law to accept that attestation,” he added

The privacy law complications

Officials cite secrecy rules for voter information:

• Wagner said when he tried to get information on dog, Page told him information was secret under state privacy law
• Wagner called that “nonsense”
• “Privacy does not extend to dogs. The dog is dead, privacy rights expire,” he said
• Legal restrictions limit access to voter registration details even for unusual cases

The broader cleanup efforts

County already removed non-citizens from rolls:

• Earlier this year, county revealed that it had booted 17 people from its rolls after learning they weren’t citizens, and thus ineligible to vote
• Board ordered registrar to cross-check voting records against pet license databases
• Page has already cross-checked thousands of pets from some lists and said he didn’t find any of them registered
• Page said more than 2,600 names on his rolls — tenth of percent of total — have not shown identification but would still be eligible to vote in upcoming congressional redistricting election

The dissenting view

One supervisor questions priorities:

• Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who voted against pet-removal motion, chided colleagues for effort
• Said bigger issue is low voter turnout
• “That to me is a more worthy conversation,” he said
• Questions whether pet registration represents significant problem compared to broader electoral participation

Read more:

• California county decides it’s time to remove pets from voter rolls