San Francisco Oakland San Jose, CA, September 24, 2026 — The California Supreme Court has ruled that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco unlawfully seized more than 650,000 ballots. The court has ordered the sheriff to return these ballots to county election officials.

The ruling stems from an investigation conducted by Sheriff Bianco into allegations of voter fraud. During this investigation, the sheriff’s department took possession of a substantial quantity of ballots. However, the California Supreme Court determined that these actions constituted a violation of state election law, specifically concerning the proper handling of ballots.

The court’s decision mandates the immediate return of the seized ballots to the appropriate county election authorities. The specific details regarding the timeline of the seizure and the precise dates of the court’s proceedings were not provided. Furthermore, the exact provisions of the state election law that were found to be violated were not detailed in the summary of the ruling.

The investigation into alleged voter fraud and the subsequent seizure of ballots by the sheriff’s department represent a significant event in the handling of electoral materials. The California Supreme Court’s intervention underscores the legal framework governing ballot security and election integrity in the state. The contractor’s name, if applicable, was not provided. The outcome of the voter fraud investigation beyond the ballot seizure is also not specified.

This ruling clarifies the boundaries for law enforcement in accessing and handling official election documents. The process for returning the over 650,000 ballots to county election officials is now underway, as mandated by the state’s highest court. Information regarding any potential fines or further legal ramifications for the sheriff’s department was not included.


Story summarized from the original created by Gilare Zada on ww2.kqed.org, see more information here.

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