There are Democrats, Republicans and Independents, however now Orange County officers are attempting to determine what number of canine 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 information within the county so as to be sure that 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 canine and cats or no matter will not be 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 girl 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 girl, 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 response to the district lawyer’s workplace.
“The concept that pets, or every other non-human, could possibly be registered to vote and take part in election is each absurd and deeply alarming,” in response to the memo from the 2 supervisors. “The Board of Supervisors should act now to revive public confidence.”
Since information of the fees got here to mild, supervisors directed the Orange County Registrar of Voters to evaluation 1000’s of voter data to make sure that no different pets have been registered to vote within the county and, on Tuesday, directed the company to increase that evaluation 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 towards voter data, and was directed Tuesday to attempt to increase that evaluation to pet registrations in all included cities inside the county.
Wagner known as the information of a canine being registered to vote an indication of a bigger downside.
“They’re signs of an issue with our voting rolls,” he mentioned.
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 downside.
“The numbers you might be displaying us inform us there may be integrity within the voting system,” Supervisor Katrina Foley mentioned Tuesday.
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento mentioned that, as a substitute of specializing in the potential for pets voting, the county ought to be centered on growing voter participation.
“I want we could possibly be speaking about how can we encourage individuals to take part of their authorities, and following the regulation, guaranteeing that the voting is safe,” he mentioned. “That to me is a extra worthy dialog.”
Bob Web page, registrar of voters for the county, mentioned the company this month has cross-referenced almost 8,000 pet registration data 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 evaluation.
The Registrar of Voters can also be requesting the identical information from cities that contract with the county for animals companies to get entry to that information, Web page mentioned, and can evaluation these pet data towards the county voter rolls. On Tuesday, Nguyen requested Web page to work with county attorneys to request pet data from cities in Orange County that present their very own animals companies or contract with nonprofits and different businesses.
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 — will probably be contacted to substantiate their id, Web page mentioned.
In the event that they do solid ballots, he mentioned, the ballots are additionally put apart to be challenged and verified.
Earlier than the following election, the company will probably be reaching out to these voters one extra time to confirm their standing.
The registrar of voters always works to confirm, replace and ensure data on voter rolls, and Web page mentioned the company repeatedly updates the rolls for deaths or different adjustments.
“If somebody is making an attempt to recreation the system and I discover out, I’m going to refer it to the district lawyer for investigation and prosecution,” he mentioned. “And I’m going to do every part I can inside the regulation to keep up our voter rolls in as correct trend as attainable.”
Not too long ago, Web page mentioned for example, the county obtained demise data from the credit score bureau Experian to assist replace voter rolls.
Web page mentioned present information suggests Orange County voter rolls are extra updated than federal voter rolls. Final yr, he mentioned, the undeliverable mail outcomes for the first election within the county was 1.6%, and 1.7% within the common election. Nationwide, nonetheless, he mentioned the undeliverable fee for all first-class mail was 4.3%.
“So I really feel we do a extremely good job of day by day sustaining the rolls,” Web page mentioned.
The supervisors’ request to cross-reference voter rolls with pet data additionally comes as California heads right into a particular election in November with doubtlessly vital political ramifications for the remainder of the nation. Voters then will determine on Prop. 50, which might waive the state’s unbiased 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 doubtless to provide the Republican celebration 5 extra seats within the Home of Representatives.
“I’m involved with the upcoming particular election,” Nguyen mentioned Tuesday, including that she wished 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 canine,” Nguyen mentioned in an announcement after the measure was permitted. “I need to be sure that heading into the election that all of us trust in it.”
Wagner additionally pointed to a lawsuit filed by the Division of Justice towards Orange County, asking for data 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 data on the 17 people who self-reported or recognized as ineligible by the district lawyer’s workplace, together with names and addresses.
Every election, Web page mentioned 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 likewise tried to vote in particular person.
However since 2022, prosecutors haven’t filed prices towards these voters, till the Costa Mesa girl was recognized registering her canine.
Final month, whereas discussing the go well with, Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer informed supervisors there was no proof of widespread voter fraud within the county.
