How Many Dogs Will Vote In November To Gerrymander California?

How many dogs will vote in the upcoming special election in favor of Prop 50–a partisan scheme crafted by the Democrat-controlled legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom to gerrymander California? The answer to that question isn’t known, but the fact that the question is raised reveals the need for necessary, systemic reforms to California’s election laws.

For background, an Orange County woman, Laura Lee Yourex, has been charged with numerous felonies for registering her dog, Maya, to vote in two California elections. Maya voted in Costa Mesa and after her passing, continued to receive ballots. Yourex allegedly stated her intent was to expose flaws in California’s voting system. Although exposed, the flaws in the voting system still remain as Californian’s, with two legs or four legs, will receive mailed ballots for the $250,000,000 special election in November.

In an exchange between Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner and Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page, Wagner asks if he could register his dog “Spot” to vote in the upcoming Prop 50 special election. Page explains that under federal law, voters must provide proof of identity and residence to vote successfully in a federal election, but state law only requires signing an affidavit under penalty of perjury, not proof of identity.

Partial exchange of the hearing between Page and Wagner:

WAGNER: So we had a peculiarly, specifically California election–the recall election. The dog got to vote. Now, we are coming up on a peculiar California special election to gerrymander the state. Would a dog be allowed to register, or would I be allowed to register my dog, Spot, without a driver’s license, ID number, Social Security number for the coming election?

PAGE: For the coming election, we have just over 2,600 voters on the roll who have not yet provided proof of identity or residency, who will receive a ballot, and under state law, if they cast that ballot, it will not be rejected for the reason of not providing an identity. (emphasis added)

WAGNER: It could be Spot Wagner. Right?

PAGE: I am saying these are people who have not provided proof of identity.

Recently, Page came under additional fire from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

In June, the DOJ  sued the Orange County Registrar of Voters for violating federal law by refusing to turn over un-redacted records of non-citizens who were removed from the voting rolls. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, says that Registrar Robert Page is “concealing the unlawful registration of non-voters.”

“Voting by non-citizens is a federal crime, and states and counties that refuse to disclose all requested voter information are in violation of well-established federal elections laws” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Removal of non-citizens from the state’s voter rolls is critical to ensuring that the State’s voter rolls are accurate and that elections in California are conducted without fraudulent voting. The Department of Justice will hold jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal voting laws accountable.”

Additionally, a coalition led by Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) and Senator Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach) unveiled a proposal to place a constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot requiring voter identification and proof of citizenship. According to a UC Berkeley IGS poll, 71 percent of Californians want that proof of citizenship requirement for first time voter registration, while 54 percent are in favor of showing proof of citizenship before each election.

If passed, the new law would make California the 37th state to have a Voter ID law. The initiative, sponsored by DeMaio and Reform California, needs to have at least one million verified signatures to make it on the 2026 ballot.

 The Democrat-majority legislature already killed a voter ID bill proposed by DeMaio, but they would be unable to silence the voices of one million people who must back a popular ballot initiative that would restore trust and participation in California elections.

Due to the fact that voter registration in California is based on an honor system and not a system of valid verification through identification, let alone proof of residency, dismisses the adage “there is no honor amongst thieves.”