A dispute over election integrity in Riverside County has intensified after Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate for governor, confirmed his office has taken possession of more than 650,000 ballots from last year’s election.
Bianco said the move is part of an ongoing investigation into claims that some ballots may have been improperly cast in connection with the vote on Proposition 50. The measure, which reshaped congressional district boundaries, was widely viewed as benefiting Democrats, mirroring redistricting efforts seen in Republican-led states such as Texas.
State officials, however, have firmly rejected those claims. According to reporting by the Riverside Record, the difference between the machine count and the final certified tally was just 103 votes—far smaller than what some critics have suggested.
The ballots were obtained after investigators from the sheriff’s office served search warrants on the Riverside County Registrar of Voters. Speaking at a press conference Friday, Bianco said a Superior Court judge has appointed a special master to oversee a physical count of the ballots.
“This is straightforward,” Bianco said. “We’re going to count the ballots by hand and compare that number to what was officially recorded.”
The investigation gained traction in part due to concerns raised by the Riverside Election Integrity Team, a group of local residents. The group has alleged a discrepancy of more than 45,000 votes between official totals and handwritten tallies from hand-counted ballots.
Attorney General Rob Bonta pushed back strongly on those assertions, emphasizing that there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
“Counts, recounts, audits, and court rulings have all consistently supported the integrity of our elections,” Bonta said in a statement reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Bonta also criticized the sheriff’s actions, calling the seizure of ballots highly unusual and warning it could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
The situation carries political implications as well. Bianco is among the most visible Republicans in the race for governor, competing in a crowded primary field dominated by Democratic candidates. Under California’s top-two primary system, candidates from all parties appear on the same ballot, with the two highest vote-getters advancing to the general election.
In recent weeks, Bonta has sent multiple letters to Bianco’s office questioning both the legality and the methodology of the investigation. In one letter, he described the ballot seizure as “unacceptable” and cautioned that it sets a troubling precedent.
Proposition 50 itself was approved by California voters last year as part of a broader effort, backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, to counter redistricting moves in conservative states. Legal challenges from California Republicans and allies of former President Donald Trump were ultimately unsuccessful, with the U.S. Supreme Court declining to intervene.
