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

The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco must return approximately 650,000 ballots he seized from a November 2025 special election. The court unanimously declared the seizure unlawful, stating that California law requires voted ballots to remain with election officials. Bianco, a Republican, had confiscated the ballots as part of a criminal investigation into unfounded allegations of voting irregularities. The court also ordered him to refrain from further handling the ballots. The ruling came after legal challenges from the state attorney general and the UCLA Voting Rights Project. Governor Gavin Newsom has since signed a bill to prevent future ballot seizures.