Foreign

Woman Faces Jail Term for Registering Dog to Vote

By Web News 290

A US woman charged with registering her dog to vote appeared in court Tuesday, facing charges that could see her jailed for six years.

Laura Yourex, 62, posted a photograph on social media showing her dog Maya Jean wearing an “I voted” sticker after California’s 2021 gubernatorial election.

Another post from October 2024 showed a photograph of Maya’s dog tag and a vote-by-mail ballot with the caption “Maya is still getting her ballot”, even though the dog had died.

Yourex, of Costa Mesa, south of Los Angeles, reported herself to authorities over the alleged voter fraud last year.

The local district attorney investigated, and she was charged with multiple felonies, including perjury, procuring or offering a false or forged document, casting a ballot when not entitled to vote, and registering a non-existent person to vote.

After a brief court appearance on Tuesday, in which she did not enter a plea, Yourex’s lawyer said his client had sought to highlight what she saw as defects in the system.

“Laura Yourex sincerely regrets her unwise attempt to expose flaws in our state voting system, intending to improve it by demonstrating that even a dog can be registered to vote,” Jaime Coulter told reporters.

Coulter said Yourex’s intention was “to have them investigate and ultimately improve our voting registration system.”

Under California election law, citizens can be registered to vote if they submit an affidavit — signed under penalty of perjury — detailing their name, residence, mailing address, date of birth and political party preference.

“Proof of residence or identification is not required for citizens to register to vote in state elections, nor is it required to cast a ballot in state elections,” the Orange County District Attorney’s office said in a statement.

Proof of residence and registration is required for first-time voters in a federal election, it said.

“As a result, the 2022 primary ballot cast in Maya Jean’s name was challenged and rejected.”

US voter roll security has become a huge issue in recent decades, with a constant drumbeat from a swathe of the Republican Party charging — without evidence — that they are filled with non-citizens and dead people.

PUNCH/Taiwo Akinola

Foreign

Sierra Leone Opposition Cries Foul Over Vote Results

By Web News 545

The opposition candidate in Sierra Leone’s Presidential Election, Samura Kamara, has called the provisional results in Country’s “daylight robbery”, alleging that, his electoral agents were not allowed to verify the ballot counting.

With the majority of ballots counted, the incumbent, Julius Maada Bio, appears to have a strong lead over his main rival, Samura Kamara.

According to BBC, in the capital, Freetown says Mr. Bio’s success can more likely be attributed to a series of strategic electoral alliances he made in the course of the campaign, including in opposition strongholds.

European Union observers have criticized the electoral commission for a lack of transparency and noted incidents of violence in some regions during the vote.

The electoral commission in Sierra Leone has said it expects the final results from Sunday’s presidential election to be published later.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Politics

No Vote Buying, Simply Cast Vote

By Web News 677

Nigerians decide on who pilots the nation for the next four years on February 25, 2023, as well as who represents their various Constituencies at the National Assembly.

It is important that voters thumbprint their ballot appropriately for the vote to count. Here is the guide on how voters should thumbprint.

By Olaitan Oye-Adeitan

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Foreign

French vote as Macron aims to beat far-right Le Pen

By Web News 545

France will head to the polls on Sunday to decide whether to give centrist Emmanuel Macron five more years as president or replace him with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

After a divisive election campaign, Ms Le Pen faces an uphill battle with her 44-year-old opponent polling ahead.

In order to win they both need to attract voters who backed other candidates in the first round.

But these are two polarising figures in France and abstention is a key factor.

Mr Macron’s detractors call him arrogant and a president of the rich, while the far-right leader has been accused of having close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Macron rose to power on a whirlwind promise of change, but many complain they are yet to see it. His presidency has been buffeted by protests, the Covid pandemic and now the rising cost of living.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Foreign

Imran Khan Ousted as Pakistan’s PM after Vote

By Web News 521

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has been ousted from power after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership.
The vote was held past midnight after opposition parties brought a motion against him, following days of drama.
The motion was first brought last week, but the former cricket star blocked it by dissolving parliament.
Sunday’s vote took place after the country’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of opposition parties and said that Mr Khan had acted unconstitutionally.
Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif – who is expected to be chosen as the new prime minister on Monday – said Pakistan and its parliament were “finally freed from a serious crisis”, adding in a tweet: “Congratulations to the Pakistani nation on a new dawn.”
If voted in by parliament, Mr Sharif – a long-time rival of Mr Khan and brother of former three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif – would be able to hold power until October 2023, when the next election is due to be held.
The vote makes Mr Khan the first Pakistani prime minister to be ousted by a no-confidence motion, with opposition parties securing 174 votes in the 342-member house in support of the no-confidence motion.
His supporters are expected to take to the streets on Sunday evening.
‘International conspiracy’
Mr Khan has previously said he would not recognise an opposition government, claiming – without evidence – that there was a US-led conspiracy to remove him because of his refusal to stand with Washington on issues against Russia and China.
He has repeatedly said that Pakistan’s opposition parties are working with foreign powers. Members of his party (PTI) left the building just ahead of the vote, also insisting he was the victim of an international conspiracy.
The US has said there is “no truth” in these allegations, and Mr Khan has never provided any evidence.

BBC