California Sheriff Seizes Ballots in Election Investigation, Sparks Controversy

A California sheriff running for governor has seized over 650,000 ballots from the November 2025 special election, citing an investigation into alleged discrepancies in the vote count. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, took possession of the ballots from county election officials, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the state’s Attorney General and raised concerns about election integrity.

Bianco announced the seizure during a press conference Friday, stating his office initiated the investigation following a complaint from a group of local citizens regarding the results of the November 2025 special election. That election centered on a measure to redraw congressional districts in favor of Democrats ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. The measure passed in Riverside County by a margin exceeding 80,000 votes.

The sheriff described the action as an “investigative mission,” explaining that his goal is to physically recount the ballots and compare the result to the officially reported totals. “This investigation is straightforward: physically count the ballots and compare that result to the reported vote total,” Bianco said.

Bianco is competing for the Republican nomination for governor in California’s June primary, facing off against Steve Hilton. The state’s primary system places all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, on a single ballot, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election in November. Several Democrats are also vying for their party’s nomination, leading to concerns among Democratic leaders that the field is too crowded and could result in a split vote, potentially allowing Bianco or Hilton to advance.

Bianco insisted the investigation is unrelated to his gubernatorial campaign, asserting, “I have a duty to investigate alleged crimes within Riverside County.”

The seizure comes amid a broader national context of questioning election results, particularly following repeated, unsubstantiated claims of fraud by former President Donald Trump. Trump’s administration previously confiscated ballots and documents from an election office in Georgia. Bianco’s actions echo similar rhetoric regarding voting practices seen in other states.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, has repeatedly warned Bianco that his personnel lack the qualifications to conduct an accurate recount. In a series of letters over the past two months, Bonta characterized the seizure of ballots as “unacceptable” and warned it “sets a dangerous precedent that will only sow distrust in our elections.”

According to the letters, Bianco’s office obtained nearly 1,000 boxes of ballots and election materials from the county election office in February, using a court order. The basis for the investigation, Bianco claims, is a discrepancy of approximately 45,800 votes reported by the citizen group between the handwritten logs of ballot receipts and the number of votes reported to the state. County election officials have refuted this claim, stating that the machine count and the final tally submitted to the state differed by roughly 100 votes. They argue that the handwritten logs, which were not used for official verification, were maintained by temporary election workers who may have made errors during long shifts.

Bianco stated Friday that the recount had begun and been paused, but would now resume under the supervision of a special master appointed by a judge.