California Court Orders Return of 650,000 Seized Ballots

The California Supreme Court on September 24, 2026 unanimously ruled Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco unlawfully seized about 650,000 ballots from the 2025 special election on Proposition 50. It issued a writ ordering him to return them to the county registrar and refrain from further handling except to comply. Bianco's department seized the ballots with two February 2026 search warrants. He began a court-supervised recount under a special master, then suspended it amid legal challenges. Attorney General Rob Bonta ordered the return; Bianco did not comply, prompting litigation the court heard with a Riverside County voters' suit. Contested claims center on the vote gap and legality. Bianco, a Republican who earlier ran for governor, claimed a 45,800-vote discrepancy in a criminal investigation. Bonta and Registrar Art Tinoco put it at about 100. Bianco suspended the probe citing politically motivated lawsuits. Attorney Bradley Hertz said warrants justified keeping the ballots as evidence; the court held they did not override Elections Code custody rules. The court said, "While allegations of election improprieties are a very serious matter," the Elections Code provides mechanisms for investigating and proving misconduct that do not compromise voted ballots. Governor Gavin Newsom signed laws to protect the electoral process. Bonta v. Bianco addressed the attorney general's authority over the sheriff.