California Gop Sheriff Who's Running For Governor Seizes Ballots From 2025 Election

A Republican sheriff successful California who's moving for politician seized much than 650,000 ballots from predetermination officials past week, saying he is investigating imaginable fraud successful past year's election.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said a group of citizens conducted their ain “audit” of California's 2025 typical predetermination results successful nan region and claimed that nan predetermination workers’ tally of ballots received was 45,000 less than nan number of votes certified to nan state.

Riverside County considered one ballot question successful nan November typical election: whether to o.k. a caller Democratic-drawn legislature map. Voters statewide and successful nan state ultimately passed nan measure, putting Democrats successful position to summation up to 5 House seats successful this year's midterm elections.

“This investigation is simple: physically count nan ballots and comparison that consequence pinch nan full votes reported,” Bianco said successful a Friday news conference.

Bianco's investigation comes amid a spate of inquiries into nan 2020 election, which President Donald Trump lost. The FBI has seized ballots from an elections hub successful Fulton County, Georgia, and subpoenaed materials related to a arguable predetermination reappraisal successful Maricopa County, Arizona. The agency of nan Director of National Intelligence has besides said it obtained and examined Puerto Rico voting machines past twelvemonth to look for information vulnerabilities.

Bianco said he's been investigating elector fraud since 2022, adding that "we person not recovered immoderate wide fraud successful Riverside County."

In his news conference, Bianco said nan county registrar had indicated that immoderate discrepancy betwixt ballot tallies and nan charismatic ballot count was owed to quality correction and that nan instrumentality count was what was certified arsenic nan election's results.

"I dream we tin each work together location is nary acceptable correction mini aliases ample successful our elections — fto unsocial a 45,000-vote difference," he said during his property conference. "Our investigation will find nan validity of that alleged discrepancy, and if recovered true, we will find nan cause."

He besides accused California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, of trying to extremity his investigation.

In a connection connected Friday, Bonta said he had concerns astir nan underlying facts of nan investigation and said nan sheriff had refused to activity pinch his agency connected nan issue.

“Sheriff Bianco’s investigation is unprecedented successful some scope and standard — and appears not to beryllium based connected facts aliases grounds but connected unfounded allegations that person already been refuted by nan Riverside Registrar of Voters,” Bonta said.

Bonta wrote Bianco respective letters astir nan matter, and said he was concerned nan affidavits utilized to support nan warrants whitethorn person mislead nan judge who signed disconnected connected them to prehend nan ballots.

Bianco is 1 of nan starring Republicans running for politician successful California this year. While California is simply a heavy bluish state, Democrats person expressed interest that their party's crowded section of candidates could unopen them retired from nan wide election. In California, candidates from each parties look connected nan aforesaid superior ballot, pinch nan apical 2 vote-getters advancing.

Bianco was elected sheriff of Riverside County, located successful confederate California, successful 2018 and 2022.

In 2024, endorsed Trump for president successful an Instagram video filmed while he was dressed successful uniform. California authorities rule prohibits officers and nationalist labor from participating successful "political activities" while wearing an charismatic uniform.

“I deliberation it’s clip we put a felon successful nan White House,” he said astatine nan time. “Trump 2024, baby. Let’s prevention this state and make America awesome again.”