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Sheriff Seizes 500K Ballots

Chad Bianco says investigation has nothing to do with his campaign for California governor
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 22, 2026 1:30 PM CDT
Sheriff Seizes 500K Ballots on California Redistricting
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco speaks at a news conference in Lake Elsinore, Calif., on Feb. 7, 2023, as officials announced that the closure of poppy fields at Walker Canyon until the wildflower bloom subsides.   (Watchara Phomicinda/The Orange County Register via AP, File)

A California sheriff running for governor has seized more than a half-million ballots cast in a November special election from county election officials, saying he's investigating a ballot count discrepancy. County elections officials have disputed the claims by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, called Bianco's move unprecedented and said it is designed to sow distrust in elections, the AP reports. Bianco said at a news conference Friday that his office launched the investigation after receiving a complaint from a citizens group about the ballot count from a November 2025 special election on redistricting.

In the special election, voters approved a measure to redraw congressional district lines to favor Democrats in the upcoming midterm election. The measure passed in the county more than 80,000 votes. Bianco seized ballots in the county of 2.5 million people. "This investigation is simple: Physically count the ballots and compare that result with the total votes reported," he said Friday. Bianco said the investigation has "absolutely nothing to do" with his campaign for governor. Bonta has sent multiple letters to Bianco's office saying the sheriff's staff is not qualified to conduct a recount. Bianco said Friday that the count had started and stopped, but would now resume under the supervision of a special master appointed by a judge.

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