California's top law enforcement official and a prominent voting rights organization have initiated legal actions this week to halt a controversial ballot seizure and recount. The effort, spearheaded by a Republican county sheriff who is also a gubernatorial candidate, involves over half a million ballots from a past election.
The dispute, originating in Riverside County last month, intensified this week as Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta sought court intervention. Simultaneously, Sheriff Chad Bianco, the sheriff in question, expanded his seizure of election materials from a county elections office. A Riverside County judge presided over a hearing Friday to address Bonta's plea for expedited proceedings.
Bonta's office disclosed in a court filing on Thursday that Sheriff Bianco had acquired an additional 426 boxes of election materials earlier this week. Bianco, however, maintains that his investigation is lawful and has received judicial approval.
"We are conducting a lawful investigation, approved by a judge," Bianco stated in a press release. "I believe the losing Democratic candidates are merely attempting to galvanize their supporters for their own political advantage."
In a parallel legal maneuver, the UCLA Voting Rights Project submitted a filing to the state Supreme Court on Thursday, asserting that the ballot seizure contravenes state laws governing election materials.
Sheriff Bianco, a notable figure among Republican candidates for governor, announced earlier this month that his office had initiated an investigation following a complaint from a local citizens' group concerning the ballot tabulation from a November 2025 special election related to redistricting. He characterized the operation as a "fact-finding mission," seizing approximately 650,000 ballots within Riverside County, a county of 2.5 million residents in inland California where he has been elected sheriff twice. Local election officials had previously informed the county Board of Supervisors that the complaint was unsubstantiated.
Bianco indicated last week that his office would proceed with a physical recount of the ballots, comparing the results against the total votes officially reported to the state. This recount is being conducted by sheriff's department personnel under the supervision of a court-appointed special master. A definitive timeline for the completion of the counting process has not yet been provided.
Bonta's initial attempt to halt the recount earlier this week was unsuccessful, as an appeals court determined his petition had been filed in the incorrect venue. He has since refiled his request in a lower court.
The petition filed by Bonta's office articulates a grave concern: "Absent swift action by this Court, the Sheriff’s misguided investigation threatens to sow distrust and jeopardize public confidence in the upcoming primary and general elections, not just in Riverside County but around the State," the document states. It further warns, "It also sets a dangerous precedent that could invite future attempts to improperly contest election results through a misuse of law enforcement authority and the criminal process."
The sheriff, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, asserted that he secured judicial warrants for the seizure of the ballots. Bianco alleged that the discrepancy in the vote count amounted to approximately 45,800 votes. However, election officials have contested this figure at county meetings, stating that the difference between the machine count and the final tally submitted to the state was closer to 100 votes. They attribute potential minor inaccuracies to handwritten records, which were not the primary basis for the count verification, and suggest that errors may have occurred due to the long hours worked by temporary elections staff.
The UCLA Voting Rights Project, in its petition filed on behalf of several Riverside County voters, argued that the sheriff lacks the legal authority to seize ballots. The organization is urging the state Supreme Court to mandate the return of the ballots to Sheriff Bianco.
"Law enforcement officials are legally prohibited from interfering in counting ballots, in California and nationwide," stated former state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat who is running for governor and serves as a senior advisor to the UCLA Voting Rights Project. "A candidate for Governor should know the law and lead by example, not weaponize his law enforcement office for political gain."
This ballot investigation unfolds against a backdrop of continued challenges to election integrity. Former President Trump has repeatedly questioned the outcomes of the 2020 election, citing unsubstantiated claims of fraud. His administration recently conducted its own seizure of ballots and documents from an election office in Georgia. This rhetoric has been echoed by some Republican officials in various states regarding their own electoral processes.
The situation in Riverside County highlights a broader tension between election administration and political oversight, raising questions about the appropriate roles of law enforcement and the potential for partisan influence in electoral processes. The legal challenges brought forth by the Attorney General and the UCLA Voting Rights Project aim to ensure that election integrity is maintained through established legal frameworks and to prevent the erosion of public trust in the democratic process. The outcome of these legal battles could have significant implications for future election procedures and the public's perception of fairness in voting.
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