California Supreme Court Intervenes to Halt Riverside Sheriff’s Seizure of 650,000 Ballots

The California Supreme Court has ordered Sheriff Chad Bianco to pause his investigation and return 650,000 seized ballots following an AG lawsuit.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 9, 2026, 5:42 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from NBC News

Judicial Intervention in Election Security Dispute

The California Supreme Court has formally ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to immediately pause his investigation into the November 2025 special election. In a statement released Wednesday, the court mandated that the sheriff and all associated agents must preserve all seized items while the judiciary reviews the merits of the case. This legal stay effectively freezes a high profile local inquiry that has sparked intense debate over the boundaries of law enforcement authority in the administration of democratic processes.

Mass Seizure of Ballots and Election Records

The conflict began when Sheriff Bianco, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, seized more than 650,000 ballots from Riverside County election officials last month. According to the sheriff, the investigation was prompted by a group of private citizens who claimed to have discovered irregularities through an independent audit of the results. The seizure targeted a special election where voters considered a single ballot measure regarding a new Democratic drawn congressional map, which ultimately passed both locally and statewide.

Allegations of Constitutional Misconduct

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has taken a firm stance against the sheriff’s actions, celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision as a necessary check on executive overreach. According to Bonta, the sheriff willfully defied direct orders and misused criminal investigatory tools to create what he described as a constitutional emergency. The Attorney General’s office argues that the seizure of ballots by a law enforcement official, particularly one seeking higher political office, destabilizes the electoral system and exceeds the legal scope of the sheriff's office.