California's supreme court ruled on Thursday that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco must return more than 650,000 ballots his department confiscated earlier this year, a move the court said violated election law and created a substantial risk to election integrity.
Court finds sheriff's conduct unlawful
Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero wrote in the opinion that allowing law enforcement unfettered access to ballots, or the ability to handle and count them in secret based on unregulated protocols, itself creates a substantial risk to election integrity.
The ballots were seized during an inquiry into voter fraud claims following a November 2025 special election in which California voters passed Proposition 50, a redistricting amendment aimed at countering Republican-led gerrymandering in Texas. The measure passed statewide and won in Bianco's Riverside county by roughly 80,000 votes.
Background of the seizure
After the election, a county citizen activist group claimed there was a discrepancy in the total vote count, though local election officials said the complaint was unfounded. The Riverside county sheriff's department then launched an inquiry, obtaining search warrants to take custody of the ballots and other election materials.
California's Democratic attorney general, Rob Bonta, launched a legal challenge, arguing Bianco had no authority over election materials and warning the seizure was designed to sow distrust in elections. Bonta ordered Bianco to return the ballots, but Bianco did not comply.
Court rejects sheriff's arguments
In court, Bianco's attorneys argued the top prosecutor could not give directions to a sheriff about an active investigation. Guerrero wrote in a separate ruling that the arguments boil down to the unsustainable view that the state's chief law enforcement officer must remain a mere bystander to an unprecedented sheriff's investigation of undeniable statewide significance.
Governor Gavin Newsom praised the court's decision, saying in a statement that the ruling affirms that California will defend democracy using every branch of government. Newsom noted he signed a bill on Saturday that would prevent anyone from seizing ballots as Bianco did, adding that the new laws add protections so such attacks cannot happen again.
The investigation came as Donald Trump has repeatedly disputed the results of the 2020 election, citing unsubstantiated instances of fraud. His administration in January seized ballots and other documents from an election office in Georgia. Election officials and civil rights groups have been following the Bianco case closely as they brace for the possibility that Trump or his allies may try to seize ballots in November.
