CA, US & World
California Supreme Court Hears Bianco, Bonta Election Cases
Attorneys representing Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and California Attorney General Rob Bonta are facing off before the California Supreme Court in San Francisco today.
The court is hearing two cases tied to Bianco’s investigation into the 2025 special election involving Proposition 50.
The first case centers on whether Bianco must return more than 650,000 ballots seized during the investigation to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.
The second case involves whether Bonta has the authority to order Bianco to stop the investigation and halt related search warrants.
The justices are also considering a new state law that makes it a crime to remove cast ballots from an election office.
California Solicitor General Sam Harbourt is presenting Bonta’s arguments before the court, while the attorney general is also attending the hearing in person.
In a statement provided to NBC Palm Springs, Bonta’s office called the seizure of the ballots an unlawful attempt to undermine confidence in elections.
The attorney general’s office also said it has not found evidence of election crimes that would support the sheriff’s search warrants.
Oral arguments are expected to continue for several hours as justices hear arguments from both sides.
The California Supreme Court's decision could determine what happens to the seized ballots and whether Bianco’s investigation can continue.
By: NBC Palm Springs
August 24, 2026
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