Fact Check: Was a dog in California registered to vote and cast a ballot?

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: In mid-February, a rumor circulated online claiming that a dog in California was successfully registered to vote and cast a ballot in an election. 

The rumor spread across social media platforms, where several internet users believed it to be true. But is there any truth to this rumor? Let us find out below.

Claim: A dog in California was registered to vote and cast a ballot

Popular YouTuber Nick Shirley took to X and posted, "California is the breeding ground for voter fraud in America, as millions of people vote with no ID, month-long election processes, inaccurate voter rolls, dead people caught voting, even a dog successfully registered to vote, and voter verification is all based on your signature — not who you actually are."

Interestingly, tech billionaire Elon Musk also shared the post and wrote, "A dog successfully registered to vote in California."

Moreover, some internet users pointed to the story as an example of alleged rampant voter fraud in the United States electoral system. 

"A woman registered her dog, Maya, to vote in California. She successfully voted using her dog twice, then turned herself in as a form of protest," another X user posted.

Fact Check: True, a boxer was registered to vote in 2021

The claims made in the online posts are true, as a boxer named Maya, owned by 62-year-old Laura Lee Yourex of Costa Mesa, California, was registered to vote and successfully cast a ballot in 2021.

Following the revelation, the Orange County district attorney's office announced it would be prosecuting Yourex on voter fraud charges in a news release dated September 5, 2025.

As per the release, Yourex was charged with five felonies - one count of perjury, one count of procuring or offering a false or forged document to be filed, two counts of casting a ballot when not entitled to vote, and one count of registering a nonexistent person to vote. 

Interestingly, Maya had votes cast in California's 2021 gubernatorial recall election and the 2022 gubernatorial election, but only the 2021 vote was counted. 

Moreover, it joined the majority of California voters rejecting the attempt to recall Governor Gavin Newsom.

Furthermore, an investigation reportedly uncovered a social media post from January 2022 where Yourex posted a photo of the dog wearing an 'I voted' sticker and another from October 2024 showing a vote-by-mail ballot with the dog's name and a caption 'Maya is still getting her ballot', though Maya was dead.