California GOP sheriff who's running for governor seizes ballots from 2025 election
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, seized over 650,000 ballots last week, claiming to investigate potential fraud in California's 2025 special election, where a Democratic-drawn congressional map was approved.
- Bianco's claims stem from a citizen group's audit alleging a 45,000-ballot discrepancy, which election officials dispute, citing a minimal 103-ballot variance (0.016%) between electronic and tabulator counts consistent with typical error rates.
- County registrar Art Tinoco and California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized Bianco's investigation as unfounded and potentially misleading, with Bonta accusing the sheriff of refusing cooperation and raising concerns about affidavits used for ballot seizure.
- Election experts warn that law enforcement involvement in election processes could disrupt routine procedures and risk ballot integrity, emphasizing the importance of trained election officials handling ballots.
- Bianco's actions are viewed in the context of his gubernatorial campaign and support for Donald Trump, drawing criticism from Democrats who accuse him of undermining trust in California's election system for political gain.
