California Court Unseals Warrants in Riverside Sheriff's Ballot Seizure Investigation

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department seized more than 650,000 ballots as part of an investigation into alleged election fraud in a 2025 special election. Warrants authorizing the seizures were unsealed by a court on Wednesday. The investigation targeted claims of irregularities, but the California Supreme Court has ordered Sheriff Chad Bianco to halt the probe.

Sheriff Bianco, a Republican candidate for governor in 2026, initiated the investigation based on reports of potential fraud. The seized ballots came from polling locations and storage facilities in Riverside County. No arrests or charges have resulted from the probe to date.

The California Supreme Court ruled that the investigation relied on unsubstantiated claims, directing the sheriff's office to cease all related activities.

The unsealed warrants, obtained secretly, detail the scope of the seizures, including specific addresses and timelines. Legal experts note that the court's intervention highlights procedural concerns in election-related probes. The Los Angeles Times reported that the warrants were issued amid controversy, with critics questioning the evidence threshold used by the sheriff's department.

The New York Times coverage emphasized the Supreme Court's finding that the fraud allegations lacked substantiation. No federal involvement has been reported in the case.

The 2025 special election involved local measures in Riverside County, with turnout exceeding 70 percent according to preliminary figures.

Allegations surfaced shortly after the vote, prompting the sheriff's office to seek warrants in late March 2025. The probe expanded to include interviews with election officials and third-party observers. Sheriff Bianco defended the investigation in public statements, citing voter concerns.