Media Coalition Seeks to Unseal Records in Riverside County Sheriff's Election Probe

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A coalition of media outlets, including the California Newspapers Partnership, ABC News, and the Los Angeles Times, has filed a motion to unseal all records and documents related to the Riverside County Sheriff's investigation into alleged irregularities in the 2026 election. The sheriff obtained three search warrants to seize ballots and election materials, but the state attorney general has accused the sheriff of defying directives and lacking probable cause. The media coalition argues the public has a right to access the records to ensure transparency and confidence in the electoral process.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between law enforcement, elected officials, and the media over the transparency and integrity of elections. The public's trust in the electoral system is crucial, and this investigation has raised concerns about potential vote tampering or other irregularities that could undermine that trust.

The details

The media coalition is seeking to unseal all documents and records related to the three search warrants obtained by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, as well as any other judicial records in the matter. The coalition argues that once the privileged information is made public, the privilege is no longer applicable. The attorney general has accused the sheriff of defying directives and lacking probable cause for the search warrants, while the sheriff has publicly feuded with the attorney general, calling him 'more of a political activist than a prosecutor'.

• On Feb. 10, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters presented data refuting the findings of a citizen election audit that claimed a 45,000-vote gap between ballots cast and ballots counted.
• On March 24, the sheriff's department executed the last of three search warrants, allowing them to seize all Proposition 50 ballots and related election materials.
• On March 20, the sheriff announced his office would count all the seized ballots to determine if a gap exists, and if so, try to find out why.

What’s next

The judge who signed the search warrants retains jurisdiction over the seized ballots and materials, and the investigation faces challenges from the UCLA Voting Rights Project, which is asking the state supreme court to order the sheriff to return the ballots to the registrar of voters.