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

The California Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco must return more than 650,000 ballots he seized after the November 2025 special election on Proposition 50.

Bianco seized the ballots in February, claiming a complaint from a local citizens group about a discrepancy in the vote count. The court found the seizure “unlawful,” stating that California law requires ballots to remain under the custody of election officials even during criminal investigations.

Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta had immediately challenged the seizure, arguing the sheriff had no authority over election materials and that the action risked undermining public confidence. He ordered the return of the ballots, a directive Bianco initially ignored before confirming he will comply.

The special election, which redrew congressional districts to favour Democrats, passed statewide and won in Riverside County by roughly 80,000 votes. The citizens group’s claim of a 45,000‑vote gap was later shown by Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco to be a misreading, with the actual gap at 103 votes, within the statutory margin of error.

Bianco, a Republican who was a gubernatorial candidate in the June primary, suspended his recount after the Supreme Court’s order. The case has drawn attention from civil‑rights groups and the UCLA Voting Rights Project, which sued both the sheriff and the county registrar.

Source: ABC News. Photo: Phil Evenden / Pexels.