Duncan the dog duly disenfranchised

FEDERAL WAY, Wash., July 12 (UPI) -- Seattle elections officials have formally bounced Duncan the dog from their voting roles.

The Australian shepherd-terrier mix had been registered to vote by its owner as Duncan M. McDonald and had received an absentee ballot in the mail last fall from the King County elections office.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer said Thursday that Duncan's owner, Jane Balogh of Federal Way, Wash., quickly admitted to the prank but still received ballots for two spring votes.

Elections officials said there was some lag time involved in purging the pooch. As for Balogh, she was dragged into court for making a false statement to a public servant and filing out a fraudulent registration.