This dog had phone bills, ballots in his name

Seattle: In King County, Jane K Balogh, a sixty-six-year-old lady managed to get her dog registered to vote.

Jane’s dog was registered under the name of Duncan M McDonald. Duncan, an Australian shepherd-terrier mix is now finally off the voter rolls after he was sent absentee ballots for three elections.

King County Elections Director, Sherril Huff said she canceled the voter registration on Tuesday for the dog.

The removal came three weeks after Jane was charged in King County Superior Court with making a false or misleading statement to a public servant, a misdemeanor.

Jane put her phone bill in the dog's name and then used that as identification when she mailed in the registration form in April 2006.

Although, Duncan signed each ballot envelope with a picture of a paw print, he did not vote. Jane wrote "void" on each ballot last November.

Jane admitted the ruse when an election official called, but the dog was still sent absentee ballots for school bond elections in February and May.

"Quite frankly, the process did take too long, and it should have been addressed after the November election," said Bobbie Egan, an elections office spokeswoman.

Egan said that the County election procedures are being reviewed to provide speedier action against voting fraud.

Jane pleaded not guilty to the charge in June.

A sheriff's investigator wrote that she admitted registering the dog under false pretenses "to make a point that anyone could vote, even an animal."

A preliminary court hearing was pending.