Riverside County Sheriff Investigates November Election Ballot Discrepancies Amid State Opposition

Riverside Sheriff Launches Controversial Ballot Investigation, Seizes Hundreds of Thousands of Ballots

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has initiated a comprehensive investigation into alleged ballot count discrepancies from a November special election, leading to the seizure of hundreds of thousands of ballots and associated election materials. Described by Sheriff Bianco as a "fact-finding mission," the endeavor aims to physically count the ballots and compare them against reported totals.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has strongly criticized the investigation as unprecedented and legally questionable, while county election officials dispute the magnitude of the alleged discrepancy.

Investigation Commencement and Scope

Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is also a Republican gubernatorial candidate, launched his investigation following a complaint from a local citizens group. The complaint alleged a significant discrepancy in the ballot count from a November special election concerning Proposition 50, a measure that redrew state congressional district lines.

In February, Bianco's department seized over 500,000 ballots and election materials, comprising approximately 1,000 boxes, under a warrant. An additional 426 boxes of ballot materials were reportedly seized in a subsequent action. Sheriff Bianco stated that it is his constitutional duty to investigate potential crimes and that the probe is not connected to his gubernatorial campaign.

Allegations and Discrepancy Claims

The local citizens group reportedly claimed that an audit found over 45,000 more ballots were counted than cast. In contrast, Riverside County Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco disputed this figure. Tinoco stated that the actual discrepancy between the machine count and the final count submitted to the state was approximately 100 to 103 votes, representing a 0.016% variance.

County election officials attributed errors in handwritten ballot intake logs to temporary election workers and noted that these logs were not used for the final official count.

Sheriff Bianco has maintained that "there is no acceptable error, small or large, in our elections."

State Opposition and Legal Challenges

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, has been a vocal critic of Sheriff Bianco's investigation. Bonta described the probe as "unprecedented in both scope and scale," suggesting it "appears not to be based on facts or evidence" and could "sow distrust in our elections." He sent multiple letters to Bianco's office, stating that the sheriff's staff is not qualified to conduct a recount and expressing concerns about the potential for confidential voter signature information to be compromised.

Bonta filed a lawsuit requesting "immediate judicial intervention," asserting that Bianco had disregarded directives from the Attorney General's office and proceeded without identifying a specific crime. Bonta's office also questioned whether Bianco had probable cause for the warrants and if all relevant information was presented to the approving magistrate judge. They further alleged that Bianco had "delayed, stonewalled, and otherwise refused to work with us in good faith."

Separately, the UCLA Voting Rights Project filed a petition with the California Supreme Court on behalf of Riverside County voters, requesting that Bianco be ordered to return all seized ballots to the county registrar. The petition argued that state law mandates ballots remain in the custody of the county registrar of voters. Former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, now with the UCLA Voting Rights Project, stated that Bianco's actions "violate California election law."

Judicial Rulings and Investigation Status

Sheriff Bianco obtained three warrants from the Riverside County Superior Court (on February 9, February 23, and March 19) for the ballot seizure and recount. Attorney General Bonta's office deemed these warrants "legally deficient," arguing that no specific crime was identified as a prerequisite for a criminal search warrant.

The 4th District Court of Appeal denied Bonta's petition to halt the investigation, advising him to file with a lower court. Bonta's office clarified that this decision was procedural and not a judgment on the petition's merits.

The ballot count initiated by the sheriff's department has reportedly started, paused, and is scheduled to resume. A Riverside County Superior Court judge has ordered the appointment of a special master to oversee the ballot counting process, which will compare the total number of ballots with the total number of votes.

Broader Context and Reactions

The November special election in question involved a measure to redraw congressional district lines, which voters approved. Critics have expressed concerns that Sheriff Bianco's actions could undermine public trust in the electoral process. Secretary of State Shirley Weber reiterated that Bianco and his deputies are not election officials and lack expertise in election administration. David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, has called Bianco's claims "false."

Sheriff Bianco has questioned the Attorney General's motives, stating:

"The attorney general’s office has taken massive steps, at taxpayers’ expense, to prevent a lawful investigation from occurring. The only question that should be asked is why anyone would not want an investigation to occur."