California Supreme Court takes up sheriff's ballot seizure case

SAN FRANCISCO - Oral arguments are set to begin Monday morning in the California Supreme Court in San Francisco regarding the controversial seizure of ballots in Riverside County following the November 2025 election.

Was ballot seizure legal? 

Why you should care:

The high-profile legal dispute centers on whether Southern California Sheriff Chad Bianco legally seized roughly 650,000 ballots cast in last year's statewide redistricting election. The Riverside County Sheriff seized the election materials as part of an investigation into alleged election discrepancies.

The underlying election featured Proposition 50, a measure designed to redraw congressional districts along partisan lines in response to redistricting efforts in Texas. The ballot measure was approved by Riverside County voters, a decision that could potentially create up to five additional Democratic-leaning seats in Congress.

Broader battle over voting rights

The backstory:

The legal challenge, titled Cervantes v. Bianco, was filed by the UCLA Voting Rights Project on behalf of county voters. Four local residents, including Clarissa Cervantes, are named as plaintiffs challenging the sheriff's actions. Current candidate for California governor, Xavier Becerra, is also among the parties filing against Bianco, who was also in the race for governor at the time of the seizure.

"Chad Bianco seized these ballots, which was seen as a really big political play to get some juice, some action, and some coverage of his run for California governor for Republicans," said David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State. "This is part of a broader battle about voting rights and voting rights access that’s being tested for the midterms in 2026, but really reaches to the presidential election of 2028."

AG Bonta steps in

In addition to the voters' lawsuit, the state supreme court is considering a second case filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta against the sheriff. Bonta previously ordered Sheriff Bianco to pause the investigation that led to the ballot seizures. Bianco refused the order, maintaining that his actions were backed by a court-ordered search warrant.

What's next:

A decision from the justices is expected to take several weeks. Any subsequent appeals would have to be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court.