California’s Supreme Court issued a ruling requiring Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to return more than 650,000 ballots his department had seized earlier in the year. Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero stated in her opinion that permitting law enforcement to access ballots or handle them without regulated oversight created substantial risks to election integrity.
The ballot seizure stemmed from a November 2025 special election in which California voters approved Proposition 50, a redistricting amendment. The measure passed statewide and won in Riverside County by approximately 80,000 votes. Following the election, a local citizen activist group alleged discrepancies in vote totals, though county election officials characterized the complaint as baseless. Sheriff Bianco’s department obtained search warrants and took custody of ballots and related election materials to investigate the fraud allegations.
State Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, challenged the seizure in court, asserting the sheriff lacked authority over election materials. Bonta ordered Bianco to return the ballots, but Bianco declined to do so. The sheriff’s legal team contended that the state’s chief law enforcement officer could not direct a sheriff’s active investigation. Guerrero rejected this argument, writing that the attorney general cannot serve as “a mere bystander” to such a significant investigation.
Governor Gavin Newsom responded positively to the court decision, stating it affirmed California’s commitment to defending democracy through all branches of government. He signed legislation the previous week designed to prevent future ballot seizures.
Election officials and civil rights advocates have monitored the case closely amid concerns that similar actions could occur elsewhere. The Bianco investigation drew attention in the context of broader national disputes over election integrity and allegations of voting fraud.
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