Woman Who Registered Pooch to Vote is Out of Legal Doghouse
It started out as a protest of what Jan Balogh thought were lax voter registration standards. But it turned into a drawn-out legal ordeal that finally ended this week when a judge dismissed misdemeanor false statement charges against her.
So what was the alleged crime? Balogh used an old utility bill and registered her Australian shepherd-terrier mutt to vote, going so far as to include his paw print on an absentee ballot.
The Seattle Times reports that Balogh never tried to conceal what she had done. Indeed, she touted the registration as a way to prove her point.
A King County, Wash., judge dismissed remaining charges against Balogh, who because of an administrative error was still on the hook for court costs she’d already paid.
Balogh complained to the Times that she is disappointed her stunt didn’t achieve the intended result of improving voter registration standards.
“I’m a nobody. I’m just a plain old lady who loves her country and nobody is responding,” Balogh said. “What does it take to get somebody to listen?
