California Sheriff Who’s Running for Governor Takes Action on Over 500,000 Ballots from the 2025 Election
Riverside County Sheriff Investigates Ballot Count Discrepancies Amid Gubernatorial Campaign
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has taken a significant step in his campaign for governor by seizing over half a million ballots from county election officials, citing discrepancies in the ballot count from a special election held in November. Bianco’s actions have sparked controversy, drawing criticism from county elections officials and California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
During a news conference on Friday, Bianco announced the investigation was prompted by complaints from a local citizens group regarding the integrity of the ballot count associated with a 2025 special election concerning redistricting. In this election, a measure to redraw congressional district lines in favor of Democrats passed by more than 80,000 votes.
Bianco characterized the ballot seizure as "a fact-finding mission," asserting that the aim is to physically count the ballots and reconcile the results with those reported. “This investigation is simple: Physically count the ballots and compare that result with the total votes reported,” Bianco stated.
As one of two prominent Republicans in a competitive upcoming June primary, Bianco faces a crowded field of candidates, including more than half a dozen Democrats. California’s top-two primary system allows all candidates to appear on the same ballot, ensuring that the two with the most votes advance to the November general election. This dynamic has created concerns among leading Democrats, who fear that an excess of candidates could lead to a split vote, potentially allowing Bianco and fellow Republican Steve Hilton to progress to the general election—a striking possibility in a state that leans heavily Democratic.
Bianco has maintained that his investigation is unrelated to his gubernatorial aspirations. “I have a duty to investigate alleged crime in Riverside County,” he said.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, Bianco’s actions come amid ongoing national debates about election integrity, fueled in part by former President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of election fraud. Similar controversial actions, such as the seizure of ballots from an election office in Georgia, have been reported.
In response to Bianco’s seizure of nearly 1,000 boxes of ballots and election materials—conducted under a warrant in February—Attorney General Bonta has criticized the sheriff’s office for lacking the qualifications necessary to conduct a recount. He described the ballot seizure as “unacceptable,” warning it could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
The disputed ballots were notably linked to a discrepancy of around 45,800 votes, a claim that county elections officials contest. They assert that the actual difference between machine counts and the final tally reported to the state was only about 100 votes, attributing any errors in handwritten logs to the intensive work of temporary election staff.
As of now, Bianco has indicated that the counting process has been temporarily halted but is set to resume under the oversight of a specially appointed master, as the investigation unfolds.
