CA Sheriff Chad Bianco Seizes Ballots in Controversial Probe of 2025 Election

Voting rights experts say the case could have nationwide implications as Trump supporters push similar allegations of electoral irregularities.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 9:04am

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A highly textured, abstract painting featuring overlapping geometric shapes in shades of grey, blue, and red, conveying a sense of political unrest and uncertainty around the integrity of elections.A fractured, geometric painting captures the political tensions surrounding a sheriff's controversial investigation into alleged voting irregularities.Maricopa Today

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, has seized more than 650,000 ballots from a 2025 California special election as part of an investigation into alleged voter fraud. Bianco says a conservative citizen group found a discrepancy between the number of mail-in ballots received and the total votes counted. However, election officials have refuted Bianco's claims, saying the real discrepancy was only 103 ballots due to a misinterpretation of unofficial versus certified ballot totals. Voting rights experts warn Bianco's actions could set a dangerous precedent for undermining public trust in elections.

Why it matters

Bianco's seizure of ballots has sparked a legal battle with California's Democratic Attorney General, who says the sheriff is overstepping his authority and trying to sow distrust in the electoral process. Voting rights advocates warn that if Bianco's tactics spread to other states, it could embolden Trump supporters and conservative activists to pressure law enforcement to investigate unsubstantiated claims of fraud, further eroding confidence in the integrity of US elections.

The details

Bianco says he was contacted in January by a conservative activist group called the Riverside Election Integrity Team (REIT) that had conducted its own audit and found a 46,000 vote discrepancy between the number of mail-in ballots received and the total votes counted. However, county election officials say the real difference was only 103 ballots due to a misunderstanding of preliminary versus certified vote totals. Despite this, Bianco obtained warrants to seize hundreds of thousands of ballots, prompting legal challenges from the state Attorney General and voting rights groups.

  • In mid-February, Bianco obtained warrants to seize about 1,000 boxes of ballot materials, including 650,000 ballots.
  • In late March, Bianco seized an additional 426 boxes of ballots and election materials.

The players

Chad Bianco

The Republican sheriff of Riverside County, California who is running for governor and has seized ballots as part of an investigation into alleged voter fraud in the 2025 special election.

Rob Bonta

The Democratic Attorney General of California who has challenged Bianco's ballot seizures, calling them an 'unprecedented constitutional emergency' that undermines public trust in elections.

Riverside Election Integrity Team (REIT)

A conservative activist group that alerted Bianco to an alleged discrepancy in the number of mail-in ballots received versus total votes counted in the 2025 special election.

Riverside County Registrar of Voters

Election officials who have refuted Bianco's claims of a significant ballot discrepancy, saying the real difference was only 103 votes due to a misunderstanding of preliminary versus certified vote totals.

Pamela Smith

The president of the voting rights group Verified Voting, who says Bianco's ballot seizures appear to be more of an 'attention grab' than a legitimate investigation.

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What they’re saying

“Anytime there is a discrepancy in ballot totals, it should be investigated to find out whether there were any mistakes, errors, or intentional misconduct in the election.”

— Hans von Spakovsky, Elections expert, Advancing American Freedom

“This is somebody who's running for office in California, and probably more people know his name today than they did a few weeks ago.”

— Pamela Smith, President, Verified Voting

“There's no indication, anywhere in the United States, of widespread voter fraud. Counts, recounts, hand counts, audits, and court cases all support this.”

— Rob Bonta, California Attorney General

What’s next

The California Supreme Court has ordered Bianco to file a brief in the case by April 1, and Bonta to file a response by April 3. The court will then determine whether to issue an immediate stay on Bianco's ballot seizure investigation.

The takeaway

Bianco's controversial ballot seizure investigation highlights the growing tensions between Republican officials pushing unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and Democratic leaders who warn such actions undermine public trust in the electoral process. This case could set a dangerous precedent if Bianco's tactics spread to other states and embolden Trump supporters to pressure law enforcement to investigate similar allegations, further eroding confidence in US elections.