Riverside County Ballot Seizure Warrants Criticized as Flawed

Experts say the reasoning behind the search warrants lacks sufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 9:35pm

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A serene, photorealistic painting of a solitary ballot box sitting on a table, with warm sunlight streaming in through a window and casting deep shadows across the scene, conveying the gravity and importance of the electoral process.The seizure of hundreds of thousands of ballots in Riverside County raises concerns about the appropriate use of law enforcement powers in investigating potential election irregularities.Riverside Today

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has faced criticism from legal experts and the state's attorney general over the search warrants that led to the seizure of over 650,000 ballots from the November 2022 election. Experts argue the warrants lack the necessary probable cause to justify such a large-scale ballot confiscation, with one professor saying the sheriff is either 'very gullible' or using the investigation to 'curry favor with the Trump base' for his gubernatorial campaign.

Why it matters

The seizure of hundreds of thousands of ballots in Riverside County raises concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and the appropriate use of law enforcement powers. The criticism from legal scholars and the state's top law enforcement official highlights the need for rigorous standards of evidence when investigating potential election irregularities.

The details

The search warrants were executed in February and March 2026 based on claims by a local watchdog group, the Riverside Election Integrity Team, that there was a 45,000-vote gap between ballots cast and ballots counted in the November 2022 election. However, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters has refuted these claims, stating the actual gap is only 103 votes, well within the acceptable margin of error. Despite this, Sheriff Bianco proceeded with the ballot seizure, citing the need to 'prove or disprove any fraud.' Legal experts argue the warrants lack the necessary probable cause, with one professor saying the sheriff is either 'very gullible' or using the investigation to boost his gubernatorial campaign.

  • The first search warrant was executed a day before the Riverside County Registrar of Voters publicly refuted the alleged ballot discrepancy.
  • The warrants also cited previous search warrants from 2023 and 2024, but did not provide details on what was found in those earlier investigations.

The players

Chad Bianco

The Riverside County Sheriff who launched the investigation and executed the search warrants seizing over 650,000 ballots.

Rob Bonta

The California Attorney General who is suing to halt the controversial ballot seizure probe.

Art Tinoco

The Riverside County Registrar of Voters who refuted the claims of a 45,000-vote discrepancy, stating the actual gap was only 103 votes.

Greg Langworthy

A member of the Riverside Election Integrity Team, the watchdog group that made the claims about the ballot discrepancy.

Rick Hasen

A professor of law and political science who criticized the sheriff's reliance on 'bogus evidence' and suggested the investigation may be a 'pretext to curry favor with the Trump base' for the sheriff's gubernatorial campaign.

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What they’re saying

“This is the kind of seizure that can have a dramatic impact and … could be copied elsewhere in the state. So before you grab hundreds of thousands of ballots, you'd better be accurate and objective in presenting probable cause to the court.”

— Jessica Levinson, Professor of Law

“I see two possible reasons for relying upon this bogus evidence. One is that Sheriff Bianco, who is running for governor, actually believes these bogus claims, or at least one of his investigators does. If so, he's very gullible.”

— Rick Hasen, Professor of Law and Political Science

“The narcissism oozes from the statements, indicating they are so much more capable than judges. It's no wonder confidence in our higher education system mirrors the confidence in our politicians.”

— Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff

What’s next

The California Supreme Court has temporarily halted the ballot seizure, and the state's attorney general is suing to permanently stop the investigation. The court will decide whether the search warrants were legally justified.

The takeaway

This case highlights the need for law enforcement to exercise extreme caution and adhere to strict legal standards when investigating potential election irregularities, in order to maintain public trust in the electoral process and avoid the appearance of political motivations.