California Justices Doubt Bianco's Right to Seize 650,000 Ballots
Updated
Updated · CalMatters · Aug 25
California Justices Doubt Bianco's Right to Seize 650,000 Ballots
3 articles · Updated · CalMatters · Aug 25
Summary
650,000 seized ballots dominated two California Supreme Court hearings Monday, where justices repeatedly signaled skepticism that Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco had legal authority to take or keep them.
State election law says ballots shall "in no event" leave an elections official's custody, and justices challenged Bianco's claim that search warrants let penal code powers override that restriction.
A second challenge also went poorly for Bianco: justices pushed back on his argument that Attorney General Rob Bonta lacked power to order a county sheriff to stop executing the warrants and counting ballots.
Bianco said he would return the ballots if ordered but expects his voter-fraud investigation to continue; the court may take months to rule.
The case stems from debunked undercount claims after a November special election and is being watched as a test of whether Trump-aligned local officials can interfere with California election administration before the 2026 midterms.
How will California's strict new ballot custody law impact future investigations by local law enforcement?
Can a county sheriff legally override state election safeguards to seize hundreds of thousands of ballots?
Will the California Supreme Court grant the Attorney General ultimate power to shut down local criminal investigations?
California’s 650,000 Ballot Seizure: Supreme Court Showdown, “Constitutional Sheriffs,” and the Fight for Election Integrity in 2026
Overview
After Riverside County voters passed a redistricting measure in November 2025, a local activist group claimed a large ballot discrepancy, which the county registrar quickly debunked. Ignoring this, Sheriff Chad Bianco—aligned with the national 'constitutional sheriff' movement—launched a criminal investigation and seized over 650,000 ballots. When California’s Attorney General ordered the ballots returned, Bianco refused, leading to lawsuits and intervention by the California Supreme Court. The unprecedented seizure prompted swift legislative action, resulting in Senate Bill 73, which established strict penalties and safeguards to prevent future law enforcement interference in elections and protect ballot security statewide.