RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A California sheriff running for governor has seized more than half a million ballots cast in a November special election from county election officials, saying he’s investigating a ballot count discrepancy.
County elections officials have disputed the claims by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, called Bianco’s move unprecedented and says it is designed to sow distrust in elections.
Bianco held a news conference Friday stating that his office launched the investigation after receiving a complaint from a local citizens group concerning ballot discrepancies from a November 2025 special election regarding redistricting.
In that special election, voters approved a measure to redraw congressional district lines favoring Democrats ahead of upcoming midterm elections, passing by over 80,000 votes.
Bianco emphasized that the effort is a “fact-finding mission.” “This investigation is simple: Physically count the ballots and compare that result with the total votes reported,” he asserted.
As a prominent Republican candidate in a crowded primary race, Bianco's actions are drawing concern among Democratic leaders who fear vote-splitting could allow him and another Republican candidate, Steve Hilton, to advance to the general election.
Bianco refuted any connection between his investigation and his campaign for governor, claiming his duty lies in investigating alleged crimes in Riverside County.
Criticism escalated when Bonta's office highlighted that Bianco's investigation raised potential legal issues regarding his qualifications to conduct recounts. Bonta noted in his communications that the seizure of nearly 1,000 ballot boxes from the elections office was “unacceptable” and sets a troubling precedent.
The issue revolves around alleged discrepancies identified by a citizens group between handwritten logs and reported votes, with Bianco asserting a difference amounting to approximately 45,800 votes — a claim election officials have refuted, citing only about 100 vote discrepancies between machine counts and final state reports.
Bianco stated that ballot counting had commenced under supervision from a special master appointed by a judge to ensure thoroughness.
