California Sheriff Seizes Ballots in Probe of 2025 Election

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco claims discrepancy in ballot count, sparking concerns over election integrity.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 7:53pm

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Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is running for California governor, has seized more than 500,000 ballots from the 2025 special election on redistricting, citing a complaint from a local citizens group about a ballot count discrepancy. California's Attorney General has called Bianco's move 'unprecedented' and says it is designed to sow distrust in elections.

Why it matters

Bianco's actions raise concerns about potential abuse of power and undermining of democratic processes, especially as he is a candidate for governor. The seizure of ballots could set a dangerous precedent and fuel broader skepticism about election integrity, even though elections officials have disputed Bianco's claims of a significant discrepancy.

The details

Bianco, a Republican, says his office launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from a local citizens group about the ballot count from a November 2025 special election on redistricting. In that election, voters approved a measure to redraw congressional district lines to favor Democrats. Bianco seized nearly 1,000 boxes of ballots and elections materials from the county's elections office, claiming a discrepancy between handwritten ballot intake logs and the final vote totals. However, elections officials have refuted this, saying the machine count and final state submission differed by only about 100 votes, with the handwritten logs kept by temporary workers potentially containing mistakes.

  • In November 2025, voters in Riverside County approved a measure to redraw congressional district lines.
  • In February 2026, Bianco seized nearly 1,000 boxes of ballots and elections materials from the county's elections office.

The players

Chad Bianco

The Republican sheriff of Riverside County, California, who is running for governor.

Rob Bonta

The Democratic Attorney General of California, who has called Bianco's actions 'unprecedented' and designed to sow distrust in elections.

Riverside County Elections Office

The county elections office that disputes Bianco's claims of a significant ballot count discrepancy.

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What they’re saying

“This investigation is simple: Physically count the ballots and compare that result with the total votes reported.”

— Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff

“This seizure of ballots is unacceptable and sets a dangerous precedent and will only sow distrust in our elections.”

— Rob Bonta, California Attorney General

What’s next

A judge has appointed a special master to oversee the ballot counting process that Bianco has initiated.

The takeaway

Bianco's actions, while claiming to investigate potential irregularities, risk undermining public trust in the electoral process, especially as he is a candidate for governor. This case highlights the delicate balance between election integrity and the potential for abuse of power by elected officials.