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California sheriff who seized ballots ordered to halt election investigation

Attorney general says court ruling against Chad Bianco ‘reins in the destabilizing actions of a rogue sheriff’ The California supreme court on Wednesday ordered a county sheriff and gubernatorial candidate who seized… Grouped from 2 articles across 1 sources.

2 reports1 sourceApr 8, 2026, 6:18 PM
FilterThe Guardian
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The GuardianApr 8, 2026, 6:18 PM

California sheriff who seized ballots ordered to halt election investigation

Attorney general says court ruling against Chad Bianco ‘reins in the destabilizing actions of a rogue sheriff’ The California supreme court on Wednesday ordered a county sheriff and gubernatorial candidate who seized more than half a million 2025 election ballots to pause his investigation into election fraud allegations while the judges review the legal challenge against it. The order came after the California attorney general, Rob Bonta, last month asked the court to step in, arguing the sheriff has no authority over election materials. A voting rights group is also challenging the ballot seizure. Continue reading...

The GuardianApr 7, 2026, 9:05 PM

‘A blatant political ploy’: California sheriff’s seizure of referendum ballots sets off alarm bells

Chad Bianco of Riverside county obtained warrants to seize ballots cast for state’s successful redistricting referendum Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox A California sheriff’s decision to seize about 650,000 ballots based on specious allegations of fraud has raised considerable alarm bells that similar efforts to undermine confidence in the electoral system could materialize this fall. The episode underscores how sheriffs and other officials can transform shoddy claims about voter fraud into law enforcement actions. Executing a warrant to seize ballots disrupts the chain of custody that is critical to maintaining ballot integrity, and also plants the idea in the public’s mind that a crime has occurred. Continue reading...

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