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Republican Sheriff Illegally Seized Over 650,000 Ballots, California Supreme Court Rules
KQED • • nation
Key Points:
- California’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco illegally seized over 650,000 ballots during a voter fraud investigation and ordered their return to election officials, citing state election law that protects ballot custody.
- The court upheld Attorney General Rob Bonta’s authority to direct Bianco to halt his investigation, affirming broad state powers over local law enforcement in election-related matters.
- Bianco had ignored multiple directives from Bonta to pause the probe, which the court found violated election laws prohibiting removal of ballots from election officials, even with a search warrant.
- The ruling is seen as a significant precedent in the ongoing conflict between Democratic state leaders and Republican local officials over election administration and mail-in voting ahead of the 2024 midterms.
- Bianco criticized the decision for expanding the attorney general’s power over sheriffs, while Bonta emphasized that such authority would be exercised only in rare, extraordinary circumstances.
