California Redistricting Referendum Ballot Seizure Challenge (Cervantes)

A pro-voting lawsuit seeking the return of more than 650,000 seized ballots to the proper election official after being taken by the Riverside County Sheriff.

Background

Riverside County voters filed a petition with the California Supreme Court challenging Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of ballots cast in last year’s overwhelmingly approved redistricting referendum. Petitioners assert that Bianco and Riverside County Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco “jeopardized the chain of custody” when Bianco seized the ballots after obtaining two warrants issued by a judge who endorsed him in his reelection campaign. The petition states Bianco unlawfully placed ballots in the hands of unauthorized election officials, failed to meet public transparency requirements, and improperly conducted a recount, among other violations of state election law. Petitioners seek the return of the seized ballots to the proper election official and a court order stopping Bianco’s recount.

Why It Matters

Sheriff Bianco — a Republican candidate for California governor — plans to conduct a hand recount of more than 650,000 seized ballots to investigate allegations of election fraud based on a “misunderstanding of data that was not fully processed.” Actions like these undermine confidence in elections during the runup to the 2026 midterms. Earlier this year, the FBI seized 2020 election ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, and subpoenaed 2020 election records from Maricopa County, Arizona.

Latest Updates

• Mar. 30, 2026: Petitioners asked the court to immediately halt Sheriff Bianco from seizing or handling any ballots or election materials until the case is resolved.
• Mar. 27, 2026: Bianco filed his opposition to the petition. Petitioners filed a letter informing the court that a “special master” had not been appointed to oversee Bianco’s recount and that Bianco had “seized 426 boxes of new elections materials from the Riverside County Registrar” on Mar. 25.
• Mar. 26, 2026: County voters filed their petition. Bianco filed his opposition to the petition.