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California Supreme Court Orders Sheriff to Return 650,000 Ballots

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 3:48 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Riverside Sheriff Returns Ballots

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco must return over 650,000 ballots seized from the 2025 special election.
The California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the seizure violated state election law.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation banning future ballot seizures.
Attorney General Rob Bonta sued, arguing the sheriff lacked authority.
The court affirmed that Attorney General orders bind county sheriffs.

Summary

Riverside Sheriff Halts Count

Sheriff Chad Bianco seized roughly 1,000 boxes of ballots on Feb. 26 after obtaining search warrants.
Sheriff’s staff began hand-counting the ballots on March 5 but halted the count the same day.
A later warrant added 11 pallets of election materials, which were resealed, returned to boxes, and stored pending court orders.
The Riverside Election Integrity Team flagged a roughly 45,900-vote discrepancy that prompted the investigation.

History

Historical Context

On December 12 2000 the U.S. Supreme Court stopped Florida’s recount in a 5-4 ruling, ending a contest decided by a 537-vote margin and citing equal-protection flaws. That intervention set a precedent that courts may halt ballot-handling disputes, a principle invoked in 2025 when a California sheriff’s seizure of thousands of ballots sparked a legal battle with the state attorney general.

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Riverside Sheriff Returns Ballots

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco must return over 650,000 ballots seized from the 2025 special election.
The California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the seizure violated state election law.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation banning future ballot seizures.
Attorney General Rob Bonta sued, arguing the sheriff lacked authority.
The court affirmed that Attorney General orders bind county sheriffs.

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