Chad Bianco: Riverside County, California, sheriff seizes more than a half million ballots from 2025 election
CNN • • nation
Key Points:
- Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, has seized over half a million ballots from a November special election, citing an investigation into a ballot count discrepancy reported by a local citizens group.
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized Bianco's actions as unprecedented and harmful to public trust in elections, noting Bianco's staff lacks the qualifications for a recount and that the county disputes the alleged discrepancies.
- The special election involved a redistricting measure favoring Democrats, which passed by more than 80,000 votes in Riverside County, a key area where Bianco has been elected sheriff twice.
- Bianco asserts the investigation is separate from his gubernatorial campaign and aims to physically recount ballots to verify vote totals, with the
