RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has seized more than half a million ballots from a 2025 special election, launching an investigation that has sparked sharp backlash from Democrats in Sacramento and raised concerns about election integrity.
Bianco, a Republican and current candidate for California governor, said the move is part of a probe into alleged discrepancies in the November 2025 election. His office took possession of over 500,000 ballots — nearly 1,000 boxes — after a local watchdog group claimed there were tens of thousands of excess votes.
At a press conference, Bianco described the effort as a “neutral, fact-finding mission,” saying deputies would physically recount ballots and compare them to official totals.
Dispute Over Alleged Discrepancies
The investigation stems from claims by the Riverside Election Integrity Team, which alleged roughly 45,000 extra votes based on its own analysis.
However, county election officials strongly dispute those claims, saying the actual discrepancy was minimal — around 100 ballots, well within normal margins of error.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber have both criticized the sheriff’s actions, arguing:
- There is no credible evidence of widespread fraud
- The seizure could undermine public confidence in elections
- The sheriff may lack legal authority to conduct such a recount
The ballot seizure was carried out under court authorization, though critics say the warrant may have been based on incomplete or misleading information.
The episode has intensified political tensions in California, particularly as Bianco campaigns for governor in a crowded 2026 race. Democrats have accused him of amplifying unfounded election claims, while Bianco maintains the investigation is necessary to verify results.
Political Fallout in a Tight Race
The controversy comes as Bianco gains traction in a crowded and unpredictable race for governor.
Recent polling shows Bianco firmly in the top tier of candidates, though not in the lead. A March survey from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found Republican Steve Hilton leading with about 17% support, followed closely by Bianco at roughly 16%.
An Emerson College poll shows a similar picture, with Hilton again at 17%, while Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Bianco each draw around 14%, underscoring a tightly contested field with a large share of undecided voters.
A Primary System That Could Reshape the Race
California’s unique “top-two” primary system could prove decisive.
Under the system, all candidates — regardless of party — appear on the same ballot, and the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election. That structure is especially significant in 2026:
- Democrats have a crowded field, with multiple high-profile candidates splitting the vote
- Republicans are more consolidated, with Bianco and Hilton emerging as leading contenders
- A fractured Democratic vote raises the possibility that two Republicans could advance, shutting Democrats out of the general election entirely
If current polling dynamics hold, analysts say a Hilton–Bianco general election matchup is a plausible scenario, a rare outcome in a state that leans heavily Democratic.
Why It Matters
- The case is highly unusual: law enforcement rarely intervenes directly in ballot handling
- It highlights ongoing national disputes over election integrity
- The outcome could impact public trust in California’s election system ahead of future contests
For now, the investigation remains ongoing, with courts and state officials closely watching how the situation unfolds.
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More cover up being made by democratic politicians.
“could undermine public confidence in elections” !!!!! What a joke. Our elections have lost our confidence decades ago. All thanks to democrats. More insulting is how they dismiss, ignore, have media allies bury the news of actual findings of thousands upon tens of thousands of cases already found, testified against by honest vote counters , poll watchers, videos both public & private of ballot stuffing, hundreds of ‘ballots’ miraculously ‘discovered after ‘close’ races only to have most to all ballots (evidence) accidentally ‘lost’ or destroyed. Of the hundreds of children trying to get anyone to back them up when they discover their parents ‘signed’ absentee voting ballots knowing they haven’t had any recollection of signing. or even the mental capacity to. The enormous amounts of voting machine that magically switch a republican’s selection over to the democrat candidate A while back during harry reed’s final run for office, within the first 30 minutes of the polls opening over two dozen complaints within 8 districts all attesting to that very fact. Voters would pull the lever for reed’s opponent, but reed’s name kept being displayed. And not a single objection was raised to close the machines down BY REPUBLICANS. Meaning, ‘the fix was in’. Anyone daring to rock the boat would have hell to answer to.The thousands of refusals to open up the voting registries where thousands of people who have long passed away but still ‘send in’ a ballot. And by the largest majority of them all voting for democrats. Of course, they add a hundred or so in for good measure to be able to deflect blame to the opposition (republicans). During biden’s run & eventual coronation, the whole world looked at it and laughed at our country. A man who couldn’t hold a conversation, much less a single thought. A man who couldn’t even debate the word salad queen of say nothing nonsense herself comes out a a ‘winner’! ! Yeah, we lost confidence long ago and now just pretending we have a democracy. Even before biden was the mealy mouthed college failure himself obama. So many ‘rules’ were set .of what not to say or ask of or about him, even to dispute hillary’s own leak that he wasn’t a born citizen. All backed up by his & michelle’s own words as well as relatives at his mothers side during his birth, it was easy to reword our democracy to ‘De Mock Racy’
Hint for all you democrats: If your candidate gets more votes than you have voters in your area……..you got a problem.
Maybe californians have finally come to their senses and don’t want any more democrats in office since they’re selling the state down-the-road and will continue to do the same… if elected.