Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate for California governor, seized more than 500,000 ballots cast in a November 2025 special election, citing an investigation into discrepancies in the ballot count. The move, announced Friday, has drawn sharp criticism from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, who called it an unprecedented act designed to sow distrust in elections.
Dispute Over Ballot Count
Bianco claims the seizure follows a complaint from a local citizens group about discrepancies between handwritten ballot intake logs and the number of votes reported. In the 2025 special election, voters approved a redistricting measure favoring Democrats by a margin of over 80,000 votes in Riverside County, a region of 2.5 million residents where Bianco has served as sheriff twice.
This investigation is simple: Physically count the ballots and compare that result with the total votes reported,Bianco said at a news conference. He described the effort as a fact-finding mission unrelated to his gubernatorial campaign.
Political Implications
The ballot seizure comes amid concerns from Democratic leaders in California that their party's crowded primary field could split the vote, potentially sending Bianco and another Republican, Steve Hilton, to the general election in the heavily Democratic state. While Bianco insists the investigation is independent of his campaign, critics argue it mirrors baseless claims of election fraud promoted by former President Donald Trump.
County Officials Push Back
Riverside County elections officials dispute Bianco’s claims, stating the discrepancy between machine counts and final tallies submitted to the state was minimal—approximately 100 votes. They attribute errors in handwritten intake logs to temporary workers who may have made mistakes during long shifts. Attorney General Bonta has repeatedly questioned Bianco’s authority to conduct a recount, calling the seizure "unacceptable" and warning it sets a dangerous precedent. The investigation, paused earlier this year, is set to resume under the supervision of a court-appointed special master.