California Supreme Court justices on Thursday ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to return more than 650,000 ballots that had been seized during a probe of alleged voting irregularities in a 2025 special election. The directive came after a legal challenge to the sheriff’s seizure of the voting materials.
The court’s ruling follows a review of the investigation that had initially targeted the ballots for possible improprieties. Subsequent findings determined that the allegations of voting misconduct were unfounded, prompting the challenge that reached the state’s highest court.
Under the order, Sheriff Bianco must deliver the ballots back to the appropriate custodians in Riverside County. The decision emphasizes that the seizure was not warranted once the investigation concluded the claims had no basis.
The seized ballots were taken as part of the original inquiry into the 2025 special election, a contest that prompted concerns about the integrity of the vote. After the allegations were dismissed, stakeholders questioned the continued holding of the ballots, leading to the court case that resulted in today’s decision.
The Supreme Court’s action restores the ballots to the county’s election officials and may influence how future investigations handle election materials. By mandating the return, the court reaffirmed that evidence collection must be proportional to verified concerns.
No additional details about the timing of the ballot return or further procedural steps were released at the time of the ruling.