There are Democrats, Republicans and Independents, however now Orange County officers try to establish what number of canines and cats could also be registered to vote.
On Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors directed employees to cross-reference voter rolls with pet registration knowledge within the county as a way to ensure there aren’t any four-legged voters with names like Fido, Fifi, Spot, Sparky or Fortunate casting ballots within the subsequent particular election in November.
“How can we verify that canines and cats or no matter usually are not on our (voter) rolls?” Supervisor Dan Wagner requested through the assembly Tuesday.
The measure, launched by Wagner and Supervisor Janet Nguyen, got here after a Costa Mesa lady was charged early this month with 5 felony counts after allegedly registering her canine to vote, after which casting ballots for the pet in two elections. The lady, Laura Lee Yourex, 62, had allegedly registered her canine, Maya Jean Yourex, to vote within the 2021 gubernatorial recall and the 2022 major.
Yourex — the proprietor, not the canine — was charged with felony counts of perjury, providing a false doc to be filed, two counts of casting a poll when not entitled to vote, and registering a nonexistent particular person to vote, in line with the district legal professional’s workplace.
“The concept that pets, or some other non-human, could possibly be registered to vote and take part in election is each absurd and deeply alarming,” in line with the memo from the 2 supervisors. “The Board of Supervisors should act now to revive public confidence.”
Since information of the costs got here to gentle, supervisors directed the Orange County Registrar of Voters to evaluate 1000’s of voter information to make sure that no different pets have been registered to vote within the county and, on Tuesday, directed the company to broaden that evaluate to 1000’s of extra pet registrations to make sure no different four-legged pets are casting votes.
The registrar just lately checked pet registrations in all unincorporated communities within the county in opposition to voter information, and was directed Tuesday to attempt to broaden that evaluate to pet registrations in all integrated cities throughout the county.
Wagner known as the information of a canine being registered to vote an indication of a bigger drawback.
“They’re signs of an issue with our voting rolls,” he stated.
However not all supervisors expressed such concern with the voter roll, or that an incident of a canine being registered to vote was emblematic of an even bigger drawback.
“The numbers you might be displaying us inform us there’s integrity within the voting system,” Supervisor Katrina Foley stated Tuesday.
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento stated that, as an alternative of specializing in the opportunity of pets voting, the county needs to be centered on rising voter participation.
“I want we could possibly be speaking about how can we encourage individuals to take part of their authorities, and following the legislation, making certain that the voting is safe,” he stated. “That to me is a extra worthy dialog.”
Bob Web page, registrar of voters for the county, stated the company this month has cross-referenced practically 8,000 pet registration information in unincorporated areas within the county on the path of the board, and has discovered no indication of pets getting registered to vote in that evaluate.
The Registrar of Voters can also be requesting the identical knowledge from cities that contract with the county for animals providers to get entry to that knowledge, Web page stated, and can evaluate these pet information in opposition to the county voter rolls. On Tuesday, Nguyen requested Web page to work with county attorneys to request pet information from cities in Orange County that present their very own animals providers or contract with nonprofits and different companies.
Web page added that the company can also be greater than 2,600 extra registered voters whose id the company has been unable to substantiate. These voters — roughly one-tenth of 1 p.c of the county’s registered voters — might be contacted to substantiate their id, Web page stated.
In the event that they do solid ballots, he stated, the ballots are additionally put apart to be challenged and verified.
Earlier than the following election, the company might be reaching out to these voters one extra time to confirm their standing.
The registrar of voters continually works to confirm, replace and ensure info on voter rolls, and Web page stated the company usually updates the rolls for deaths or different adjustments.
“If somebody is attempting to recreation the system and I discover out, I’m going to refer it to the district legal professional for investigation and prosecution,” he stated. “And I’m going to do every thing I can throughout the legislation to keep up our voter rolls in as correct style as doable.”
Not too long ago, Web page stated for instance, the county obtained demise information from the credit score bureau Experian to assist replace voter rolls.
Web page stated present knowledge suggests Orange County voter rolls are extra updated than federal voter rolls. Final yr, he stated, the undeliverable mail outcomes for the first election within the county was 1.6%, and 1.7% within the normal election. Nationwide, nevertheless, he stated the undeliverable fee for all first-class mail was 4.3%.
“So I really feel we do a very good job of each day sustaining the rolls,” Web page stated.
The supervisors’ request to cross-reference voter rolls with pet information additionally comes as California heads right into a particular election in November with probably important political ramifications for the remainder of the nation. Voters then will resolve on Prop. 50, which might waive the state’s impartial redistricting course of and approve a brand new partisan congressional map for the state that might favor Democrats.
The measure was launched in response to an effort in Texas to approve new redistricting maps which might be seemingly to offer the Republican social gathering 5 extra seats within the Home of Representatives.
“I’m involved with the upcoming particular election,” Nguyen stated Tuesday, including that she needed to ensure voters had confidence within the outcomes of the election.
“How can we’ve a good election if somebody can stuff the poll field with canines,” Nguyen stated in an announcement after the measure was permitted. “I wish to ensure heading into the election that all of us believe in it.”
Wagner additionally pointed to a lawsuit filed by the Division of Justice in opposition to Orange County, asking for information for 17 people who had been ineligible to solid a poll however appeared on the county’s voter rolls.
The county has responded by sending info on the 17 people who self-reported or recognized as ineligible by the district legal professional’s workplace, together with names and addresses.
Every election, Web page stated his company has referred to prosecutors between 100 to 400 individuals who tried to vote twice in earlier elections — an incident that happens most frequently with people who despatched in mail-in ballots and in addition tried to vote in particular person.
However since 2022, prosecutors haven’t filed costs in opposition to these voters, till the Costa Mesa lady was recognized registering her canine.
Final month, whereas discussing the go well with, Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer advised supervisors there was no proof of widespread voter fraud within the county.
