Signal California Supreme Court orders Riverside County sheriff to return 650,000 seized ballots

Summary

The California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco unlawfully seized about 650,000 ballots from the November 2025 special election. It ordered him to return them to Riverside County election officials and to stop handling them except as needed to comply. The court said state law requires voted ballots to stay in the custody and control of election officials, including during a criminal investigation. Bianco seized them in February while investigating claims of voting irregularities tied to Proposition 50, and he was then running for governor as a Republican. In a second unanimous ruling the court found he also violated the law by ignoring Attorney General Rob Bonta's directive to pause the seizure, upholding Bonta's authority to issue binding directions. Bonta and UCLA's Voting Rights Project had each sued, and Proposition 50, which redrew congressional districts, passed with more than 64% of the statewide vote.