California Supreme Court Hears Arguments over Sheriff's Seizure of Ballots
The justices are weighing whether a sheriff can keep ballots seized under search warrants as voting-rights groups call the move unlawful.
- The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday regarding Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco's seizure of approximately 650,000 ballots from the November 2025 redistricting election.
- Bianco seized about 1,000 boxes of materials in March to investigate alleged discrepancies, though Riverside County Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco maintained the claims were unfounded misunderstandings.
- Plaintiffs including the UCLA Voting Rights Project and Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta argue the seizure was a political stunt, while Bianco's counsel maintains the ballots are evidence held under court-issued warrants.
- Despite orders from Rob Bonta to return the materials, Bianco continues to hold the ballots, claiming they are evidence protected by the state's Penal Code.
- David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State, described the case as part of a broader battle over voting rights access that reaches the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential election.
75 Articles
75 Articles
He knows why the California Supreme Court considers whether Sheriff Chad Bianco can retain 650 thousand ballots from a special election.
California sheriff refuses to turn over 650,000 ballots he seized after complaint
by WorldTribune Staff, August 25, 2026 Non-AI Real World News Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco on Monday said he will not return the approximately 650,000 ballots he seized from the November 2025 special election on redistricting, reiterating that he has a legal obligation to investigate the ballots after receiving a complaint. The California Supreme Court […]
SoCal Sheriff Chad Bianco Faces California Supreme Court Over Seizure of 650,000 Ballots
Two lawsuits before the California Supreme Court challenge Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of 1,000 boxes of November 2025 ballots, which include a measure redrawing congressional districts that passed in his county by about 80,000 votes.
"California justices seem skeptical of Sheriff Chad Bianco’s defense in ballot seizure case" #ELB
Cal Matters: California’s Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical on Monday that Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco was acting within his legal rights when he seized more than 650,000 ballots from that county’s top election administrator in March. In back-to-back hearings in… Continue reading The post “California justices seem skeptical of Sheriff Chad Bianco’s defense in ballot seizure case” appeared first on Election Law Blog.
Sheriff SEIZES 650,000 Ballots — California Election Takes HUGE Turn
A high-stakes election integrity fight in California has reached the state’s highest court, with Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco refusing to surrender roughly 650,000 ballots seized during an investigation into the 2025 special election — despite Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta demanding their return. The California Supreme Court heard arguments Monday over whether Bianco acted within his legal authority when his department took posse…
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