California sheriff doubles down on seizing ballots as state Supreme Court hears whether he must return them
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco remains defiant as the California Supreme Court deliberates whether he has to return approximately 650,000 ballots he seized from a November 2025 special election on redistricting.The court heard arguments Monday from Bianco’s lawyers and from California, where the state’s Attorney General Rob Bonta launched a legal challenge to Bianco’s ballot seizures in March, ordering him to return the ballots.Bianco, however, refused, arguing through his legal team that he had a legal obligation to investigate the ballots after receiving a complaint."I did this, and this was legal," Bianco told reporters."I went a different route.
They are legal.Both routes are legal.
It's just their side doesn't like the route I chose."DOJ DEMANDS 865K DETROIT BALLOTS, THREATENING POSSIBLE LEGAL ACTIONRiverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco arrives at the Supreme Court of California for a hearing about his seizure and recount of more than half a million 2025 election ballots on Monday, Aug.24, 2026, in San Francisco.
(AP Photo/Noah Berger)Bianco is still holding the ballots, his lawyer Bradley Hertz told reporters Monday, arguing that they are evidence.CALIFORNIA ACCUSED OF BLOCKING FEDERAL VOTER ROLL AUDIT AS DOJ ESCALATES PROBE OF ELECTION FRAUD CLAIMS"The sheriff is holding that evidence, safeguarding it as a custodian for the court," Hertz said.The ballots are from a November 2025 special election in which state voters decided on Proposition 50, a legislative redistricting measure that passed by more than 3.4 million votes, according to the California Secretary of State.CALIFORNIA ELECTION LIMBO FUELED BY 4 PRESSURE POINTS DRAGGING OUT VOTE COUNT, EXPERT SAYSBianco, however, appeared to question whether the official count was valid.Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco arrives at the Supreme Court of California for a hearing about his seizure and recount of more than half a million 2025 election ballots on Monday, Aug.24, 2026, in San Francisco.
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