The California Supreme Court has ordered a county sheriff to pause his investigation into alleged election fraud after he seized over 650,000 ballots from a special election. The order, issued on Wednesday, requires Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to halt his inquiry and preserve all seized materials while the court reviews a legal challenge against his actions.
The dispute began earlier this year when Bianco, who is also a Republican candidate for governor, seized 1,000 boxes of election materials following a complaint from a local citizens' group about the ballot count from a November 2025 redistricting election. Local election officials had already deemed the complaint unfounded. After California Attorney General Rob Bonta ordered Bianco to stop his investigation, the sheriff seized an additional 426 boxes of ballots.
Attorney General Bonta had asked the court to intervene, arguing that the sheriff lacked authority over election materials. A voting rights group has also challenged the seizure. In a statement, Bonta welcomed the court's decision, saying it 'reins in the destabilizing actions of a rogue sheriff' and prevents him from continuing the investigation while litigation proceeds.
Bianco previously defended his investigation, noting it was approved by a county judge, and claimed last week that he had already paused it due to mounting legal challenges. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The case has drawn attention amid ongoing disputes over election integrity in the United States.
