Ballot seizure by Riverside County sheriff was 'unlawful,' California Supreme Court rules

The California Supreme Court issued two unanimous rulings on Thursday declaring that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco acted unlawfully by seizing over half a million ballots. Bianco had confiscated approximately 650,000 ballots from a November 2025 special election to investigate claims of voter fraud, which the court deemed unfounded. Consequently, the state's high court has ordered the Riverside County sheriff to return all seized ballots, ruling that he lacked the legal authority for the seizure.