The California Supreme Court is weighing whether Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco must return approximately 650,000 seized ballots to local election officials following a disputed special election held in November 2025. The high court heard oral arguments on the seizure, which stems from a legislative redistricting measure approved by voters in Riverside County by a margin of roughly 80,000 votes.
In March, Sheriff Bianco’s office seized 1,000 boxes of election materials after a local citizen group alleged counting errors, though local election officials had already declared the complaint baseless. At the time of the seizure, Bianco was running as a Republican candidate in the state’s gubernatorial primary. Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta immediately launched legal action, arguing that the sheriff lacked jurisdiction over election materials and intended to sow distrust in the electoral process. The UCLA Voting Rights Project also filed a lawsuit against the sheriff on behalf of several Riverside County voters.
Legal Arguments Before the California Supreme Court
During Monday’s proceedings, Chad Dunn, legal director and co-founder of the UCLA Voting Rights Project, told the court that established statutory mechanisms exist for challenging election results, and Bianco bypassed all of them. Dunn stated that no other state law permits individuals to manipulate ballots privately alongside deputies. Bradley Hertz, attorney for Bianco, countered that the sheriff had a legal obligation to investigate the citizen complaint under the state penal code and issued search warrants in February.
Hertz maintained that the seized ballots constitute legal evidence and that the sheriff is holding them in custody on behalf of the court. According to Hertz, Bianco declined to comply with Attorney General Bonta's directive to return the documents because an active legal dispute was already underway.
The investigation unfolds against a backdrop of ongoing political scrutiny surrounding voting integrity. Former state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat who also ran in the gubernatorial primary, joined the UCLA-led lawsuit to halt the sheriff’s actions. Bianco ultimately failed to advance past the June primary and subsequently announced his intention to seek reelection as sheriff in 2028.
Context and What Happens Next
The dispute echoes broader partisan debates over election administration nationwide.