# California Supreme Court Questions Sheriff’s Ballot Seizure

> California Supreme Court justices challenge Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of 650,000 ballots in November election.
- Title: California Supreme Court Questions Sheriff’s Ballot Seizure
- Summary: California Supreme Court justices challenge Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of 650,000 ballots in November election. Sheriff’s ballot seizure…
- Keywords: california, riverside county, sheriff, chad bianco, ballot seizure, election integrity, california supreme court, riverside county election integrity team, ucla vrp, california attorney general, news, world
- Source: Kqed — https://kqed.org/news/12096491/california-supreme-court-appears-skeptical-of-biancos-ballot-seizure
- Published: 2026-08-24T21:45:06+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: california, riverside county, sheriff, chad bianco, ballot seizure, election integrity, california supreme court, riverside county election integrity team, ucla vrp, california attorney general, news, world
## Court Skeptical of Seizure
California Supreme Court justices questioned Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of over 650,000 November ballots.

> It says in no event shall the packet or its content be taken from the custody of the elections official.
## Sheriff’s Legal Justification
Bianco claims his actions investigate potential voter fraud in California’s redistricting measure election.

> Under your broad view of the warrant power, pursuant to a lawful warrant, the sheriff could seize ballots even before Election Day.
## Democratic Concerns
Democratic leaders fear the seizure is a conservative tactic to undermine vote-by-mail systems.

> It looks like well-meaning officers essentially trying to build a vote-counting airplane while they're flying it.
## State Law Conflict
State law restricts ballot access only during criminal prosecutions, not investigations.

> It cannot be a universal prohibition against all legal processes.
## Election Audit Discrepancy
Riverside County audit found 45,896 fewer ballots than the final count, raising accuracy concerns.

> These are completed in the field by election officers during long workdays.
## Attorney General’s Role
California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued to block the sheriff’s actions, claiming improper oversight.

> Direct supervision does not mean absolute control, and sheriffs are not employees of the attorney general.
## Court’s Legal Debate
Justices debated whether the attorney general’s authority allows seizure of ballots before Election Day.

> That to me says if he wants to drop into a particular county and say, 'Cease this prosecution for shoplifting,' it shall be done.
## State Response
California signed a law in May making it illegal for election officials to hand over ballots to law enforcement.

> It's very possible that the staff may not have recorded the numbers accurately on these daily mail intake forms.
## Key takeaway

Sheriff’s ballot seizure faces legal scrutiny over state law compliance and election integrity concerns.