The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco unlawfully seized more than 650,000 ballots from a 2025 special election and ordered the materials returned to county election officials.
The unanimous ruling came in two cases challenging Bianco's investigation into alleged voter fraud and his authority to take control of ballots that were being held by election officials. The court also ruled that Bianco was required to follow directives from California Attorney General Rob Bonta to stop the investigation.
Why the ballots were seized
Bianco's investigation began after activists raised questions about the results of the November 2025 special election involving congressional redistricting. They claimed there was a discrepancy between the number of votes reported to the state and the number of ballots received.
Bianco said his office was conducting a fact-finding investigation into those allegations. Riverside County election officials disputed the size of the alleged discrepancy, saying the machine count and the final count submitted to the state differed by about 100 votes.
The alleged discrepancy also would not have changed the outcome of the election, according to the reporting surrounding the case.
What the court decided
The California Supreme Court concluded that Bianco did not have the authority to remove the voted ballots from the custody of election officials. The court ordered the sheriff to stop his investigation and return the seized materials to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.
The court's decision also addressed the authority of the state attorney general over county sheriffs. The justices unanimously ruled that Bianco had failed to comply with directives from Bonta to halt the investigation.
"voted ballots remain in the custody of elections officials"
Justice Goodwin H. Liu separately emphasized the scale of the seizure, noting that armed deputies had removed more than 1,000 boxes containing election documents.
The investigation faced legal challenges
The seizure prompted lawsuits from people and organizations seeking the return of the ballots. California Attorney General Rob Bonta also challenged Bianco's actions in court.
The state Supreme Court had already ordered Bianco in April to halt the investigation while the legal dispute continued. The ballots remained under the sheriff's control during the case.
Bianco had defended the investigation and argued that state officials should not be able to stop a lawful criminal investigation. He has also publicly made claims about fraud in the 2020 election.
What happens to the ballots
The court's ruling requires the seized ballots and related materials to be returned to county election officials. The decision also reinforces the role of election officials in maintaining custody of voted ballots under California law.
The ruling comes as California prepares for the 2026 midterm elections. State lawmakers have also recently approved legislation addressing the handling and protection of ballots, adding another layer to the state's rules governing election materials.
The California Supreme Court's September 24 decision resolves the central legal dispute over whether Bianco had authority to seize the ballots and continue the investigation.
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