California Supreme Court Orders Riverside County Sheriff to Return 650,000 Ballots
publishers 14articles 17first reported 24 Sep, 17:14 UTCdeveloping since 24 Sep · 6 editions
The California Supreme Court unanimously ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to return approximately 650,000 ballots seized in February during an investigation into alleged voting irregularities in a November 2025 special election.
The court ruled Thursday that the seizure was unlawful because California election law requires voted ballots to remain continuously in the custody and control of election officials, including during criminal investigations. Bianco was also ordered to refrain from further handling the ballots except as necessary to return them.
Bianco’s department obtained search warrants and seized the ballots in February after a local citizens group alleged that the vote count did not match the number of ballots received. Riverside County election officials said the complaint was unfounded. The ballots came from the election in which voters approved Proposition 50, a congressional redistricting measure backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. It passed statewide and carried Riverside County by about 80,000 votes.
Attorney General Rob Bonta challenged the seizure and ordered Bianco to return the ballots. In a separate ruling, the court affirmed the attorney general’s authority to issue binding directions to county sheriffs when local investigations conflict with state law.
Bianco had argued that he was legally obligated to investigate the complaint and that Bonta could not interfere with an active investigation. The court rejected that position. Newsom praised the decisions, while Bianco criticized Bonta and defended his investigation.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 4 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one (7 if wire copies count as one too); this version written 10 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
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- Source articles
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- Given to the writer
- 8, 4 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8 (7 if wire copies count as one)
- This version written
- 10 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- revised
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