Riverside County Sheriff returns seized ballots after Supreme Court ruling
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ)— Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has returned approximately 650,000 ballots and election materials to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters following a unanimous California Supreme Court ruling ordering the materials returned.
The court ruled last Thursday that Bianco violated state election law when his office seized the ballots from the November 2025 special election involving Proposition 50. The justices ordered the ballots returned immediately to the custody of the Registrar of Voters.
In a separate unanimous ruling issued the same day, the court upheld Attorney General Rob Bonta’s authority to order Bianco to stop the investigation and comply with state election procedures.
The Registrar of Voters confirmed that the county has received the ballots and election materials returned by the Sheriff’s Office following the Supreme Court’s opinion.
“The Registrar is working with the state to determine the appropriate next steps for the ballots,” the office said. “The Registrar will continue to safeguard the integrity of the election process and ensure the secure custody and accountability of all election materials.”
Riverside County Supervisor Medina also addressed the development in a post on Instagram, writing:
“This is an important step toward restoring public confidence and ensuring our elections are governed by the law and the safeguards designed to protect every voter.
The integrity of our elections depends on the integrity of the process.”
The returned materials will remain in the custody of the Registrar of Voters while county and state officials determine the appropriate next steps.
The Supreme Court’s ruling brings the seized ballots back under the control of the county’s election officials.
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