Court Rejects Bid to Pause Riverside County Sheriff's Probe of 656,000 Seized Ballots

California Attorney General's effort to suspend the investigation into a potential vote discrepancy has been denied by an appeals court.

Mar. 25, 2026 at 5:41am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A California appeals court has rejected a request by Attorney General Rob Bonta to pause an investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department into a potential discrepancy between ballots received and ballots counted in the November 2022 election. The sheriff's office seized over 656,000 ballots as part of the probe, which the attorney general has called a "fishing expedition" that violates his authority. The court did not provide a reason for its decision, but the sheriff says the ballot counting will resume on March 25.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between state and local law enforcement over the integrity of elections, with the Republican sheriff challenging the Democratic attorney general's oversight. The outcome could impact public confidence in the electoral process in California.

The details

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department launched an investigation into a potential 45,000-vote discrepancy between ballots received and ballots counted in the November 2022 election, based on a complaint from a citizens' election watchdog group. Sheriff Chad Bianco obtained a search warrant and seized over 656,000 ballots to conduct a count. Attorney General Rob Bonta sought to pause the investigation, arguing the sheriff lacked sufficient evidence of a crime and was overstepping his authority. However, the appeals court rejected Bonta's request, allowing the sheriff's probe to continue.

  • On March 24, 2026, a California appeals court rejected the attorney general's bid to pause the Riverside County sheriff's investigation.
  • The sheriff's department plans to resume counting the seized ballots on March 25, 2026.

The players

Rob Bonta

The Democratic Attorney General of California who sought to pause the Riverside County sheriff's investigation.

Chad Bianco

The Republican Riverside County Sheriff who launched the investigation into a potential vote discrepancy and obtained a warrant to seize over 656,000 ballots.

Riverside Election Integrity Team

A citizens' election watchdog group that filed a complaint alleging a 45,000-vote discrepancy between ballots received and ballots counted in Riverside County.

Art Tinoco

The Riverside County Registrar of Voters who disputes the alleged 45,000-vote gap, stating the actual gap is only 103 votes.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The facts have not changed. The Riverside County Sheriff continues to directly defy the Attorney General's instructions, in violation of the California Constitution and state law.”

— Rob Bonta, California Attorney General

“Today, the court of appeals threw out his writ with zero merit.”

— Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff

“If it's right and there's the same amount of ballots (and) the same amount of votes, then we're done. We move on – plain and simple. If it's wrong, then we have to find out why. That's the nature of investigation.”

— Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff

What’s next

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department plans to resume counting the seized ballots on March 25, 2026 to determine if the alleged vote discrepancy exists.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between state and local law enforcement over the integrity of elections, with the Republican sheriff challenging the Democratic attorney general's oversight. The outcome could impact public confidence in the electoral process in California.