A California sheriff has been ordered by the state supreme court to return over half a million ballots he seized during an investigation into alleged voting irregularities in a recent special election. The ballots, collected from a statewide redistricting measure that passed overwhelmingly, were taken despite no evidence of wrongdoing, according to the court’s ruling. Authorities have determined the sheriff’s actions were unlawful and must now halt any further interference with election materials. The decision comes after the measure won by a significant margin in the sheriff’s own county.
State supreme court rules Chad Bianco’s conduct unlawful and says he ‘must refrain from further handling’ of ballotsA Republican California sheriff must return more than a half-million ballots he seized for an investigation into unfounded voting improprieties in a special election last year, the state supreme court ruled Thursday.Riverside county sheriff Chad Bianco in February seized approximately 650,000 ballots from a November 2025 special election on statewide congressional redistricting favorable to Democrats and pushed by Governor Gavin Newsom. The measure easily passed statewide, and won in Bianco’s county by roughly 80,000 votes. Continue reading...
