Riverside County Sheriff Presses Ahead With Election Probe Amid Clash With State AG

Bianco secures ballots and election materials to conduct hand count, despite objections from California Attorney General Bonta.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 12:19am

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The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is moving forward with an investigation into alleged vote-count irregularities from the November 2025 special election, setting up a high-profile dispute with California's attorney general. Sheriff Chad Bianco says his department has secured ballots and election materials and plans to conduct a hand count as part of the inquiry, despite objections from Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Why it matters

The case highlights ongoing tensions between local law enforcement and state officials over election integrity issues, with the sheriff accusing the attorney general of trying to block a legitimate investigation. The outcome could have significant implications for public trust in the electoral process in Riverside County.

The details

Bianco announced the investigation during a recent press conference, stating that his department obtained the election materials after serving search warrants to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters in February. The allegations stem from the Riverside Election Integrity Team, a local group that claims there were roughly 45,000 more ballots counted than cast in the 2025 special election. However, county election officials have rejected those claims, saying the discrepancy is based on a misunderstanding of ballot processing and reporting.

  • In February, the sheriff's department served search warrants to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters to obtain election materials.
  • Between February and March, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent letters requesting the investigation be halted and questioning the legal basis for the search warrants.

The players

Chad Bianco

The Riverside County Sheriff who is leading the investigation into alleged vote-count irregularities from the 2025 special election.

Rob Bonta

The California Attorney General who has repeatedly raised concerns about the sheriff's department's investigation and requested that it be halted.

Riverside Election Integrity Team

A local group that claims there were roughly 45,000 more ballots counted than cast in the 2025 special election in Riverside County.

Riverside County Registrar of Voters

The county election officials who have rejected the claims made by the Riverside Election Integrity Team, stating the discrepancy is based on a misunderstanding of ballot processing and reporting.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

What’s next

A Riverside Superior Court judge has allowed the investigation to proceed and has appointed a special master to oversee the handling of election materials and the ballot review process. The sheriff's department says it will conduct a full hand count of ballots to determine whether any discrepancy exists in the 2025 special election results, but has not provided a timeline for when the count will be completed.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between local law enforcement and state officials over election integrity issues, with the sheriff accusing the attorney general of trying to block a legitimate investigation. The outcome could have significant implications for public trust in the electoral process in Riverside County.