Riverside County Sheriff and State Elections Chief Clash Over Election Probe

California Secretary of State criticizes sheriff's investigation into alleged election irregularities.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 12:42am

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California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has criticized Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco's decision to assign local law enforcement to investigate possible election irregularities in last November's special election. Weber stated that the sheriff's office lacks the expertise and legal authority to conduct such a probe, and that similar claims in other states have been thoroughly reviewed and debunked. Bianco, who is running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, has vowed to continue the investigation despite Weber's objections.

Why it matters

This clash between the state's top elections official and a county sheriff highlights the ongoing tensions around election integrity and the role of law enforcement in overseeing elections. It also raises questions about the political motivations behind the sheriff's investigation, given his gubernatorial ambitions.

The details

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has tasked his deputies with investigating possible discrepancies in last November's special election, based on findings provided by the election watchdog group Riverside Election Integrity Team (REIT). REIT claims there were 45,800 more ballots counted than publicly documented in election records. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has criticized Bianco's actions, stating that his office lacks the expertise and legal authority to conduct such a probe, and that similar claims in other states have been thoroughly reviewed and debunked. Bianco, who is currently among the top GOP contenders for the governor's office, has vowed to continue the investigation despite Weber's objections.

  • The Riverside County Sheriff's Office launched its investigation in February 2026.
  • REIT announced its findings of alleged election discrepancies during a workshop in February 2026.

The players

Shirley Weber

California Secretary of State, who has criticized the Riverside County Sheriff's investigation into alleged election irregularities.

Chad Bianco

Riverside County Sheriff, who has tasked his deputies with investigating possible discrepancies in last November's special election.

Riverside Election Integrity Team (REIT)

An election watchdog group that has provided findings to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office about alleged election discrepancies.

Rob Bonta

California Attorney General, who Bianco alleges is opposed to the sheriff's department's pursuit of evidence.

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What they’re saying

“The Riverside County Sheriff's Office has taken actions based on allegations that lack credible evidence and risk undermining public confidence in our elections.”

— Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State

“there is no acceptable error, small or large, in our elections, let alone a 45,000 vote difference.”

— Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the Riverside County Sheriff's Office to continue its investigation into the alleged election irregularities.

The takeaway

This clash between the state's top elections official and a county sheriff highlights the ongoing tensions around election integrity and the role of law enforcement in overseeing elections. It also raises questions about the political motivations behind the sheriff's investigation, given his gubernatorial ambitions.