The California Supreme Court recently ordered Bianco to return the seized ballots, ruling that the removal was unlawful even when conducted under a search warrant. Bianco had seized the documents despite the county reporting a discrepancy of only 103 votes and against a directive from Attorney General Rob Bonta to pause the investigation. The court also affirmed that the state's constitution allows the attorney general to issue binding instructions to sheriffs to halt criminal probes for review.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Story
Newsom Signs Law Making Ballot Seizure a Felony for Sheriffs
US Politics24 days ago
Governor Gavin Newsom updated the state's criminal code on September 19 to prohibit law enforcement from seizing election records. The new legislation makes the unauthorized removal of votes from official custody a felony, serving as a response to a conflict in Riverside County where Sheriff Chad Bianco removed roughly 650,000 ballots from the 2025 Proposition 50 election during a criminal probe.
Looking for more context or analysis?
Tilt chat provides reliable, tailored insights, alerts, and automations.