California sheriff ordered to return ballots he confiscated in voter ‘fraud’ inquiry

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California's state supreme court ruled that sheriff Chad Bianco must return over 650,000 ballots seized during an unfounded voter fraud inquiry in a 2025 special election on congressional redistricting. The ruling declared Bianco’s actions unlawful and restricts him from further ballot handling.

State supreme court rules Chad Bianco’s conduct unlawful and says he ‘must refrain from further handling’ of ballots A Republican California sheriff must return more than a half-million ballots he seized for an investigation into unfounded voting improprieties in a special election last year, the state supreme court ruled Thursday. Riverside county sheriff Chad Bianco in February seized approximately 650,000 ballots from a November 2025 special election on statewide congressional redistricting favorable to Democrats and pushed by Governor Gavin Newsom. The measure easily passed statewide, and won in Bianco’s county by roughly 80,000 votes. Continue reading...