Republican Sheriff Illegally Seized Over 650,000 Ballots, California Supreme Court Rules
The California Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco acted illegally by seizing over 650,000 ballots during an investigation into voter fraud. The court ordered the ballots returned, citing violations of state election laws regarding the handling of voted ballots.
Why it matters
This ruling sets a significant legal precedent for the limits of law enforcement authority in election administration and impacts the ongoing national debate over mail-in voting security.
Politics Republican Sheriff Illegally Seized Over 650,000 Ballots, California Supreme Court Rules In a unanimous ruling, the justices said Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco broke the law when he seized ballots cast in the November 2025 special election and ordered him to return them. Sep 24, 2026 Updated 4:38 pm PT Guy Marzorati Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco, California, US, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The ruling appeared to close the door on a flashpoint in the tug-of-war between Democratic state leaders and local Republican officials over vote-by-mail and election administration. (Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg) California’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco broke the law when he seized more than 650,000 ballots cast in last year’s election and ordered him to return them to county election officials.
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